CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 11 Who Do You Want Reading Your Images? When it comes to "troubles" of the head, neck and spine, trust Valley Radiology. Our team of Board Certified radiologists includes fellowship-trained specialists with subspecialty expertise in neuroradiology. We offer advanced imaging to diagnose problems within the brain, spine and associated blood vessels. is includes image-guided biopsies of the head and neck and interventional procedures for cerebrovascular disease. Valley Radiology is committed to patient-centered care and exceptional service for referring physicians. Compassionate Care, Quality Imaging 3186 Village Dr., Suite 201 • Fayetteville • ValleyRadiologyNC.com 910.486.5700 at the dining room table on my first night back on fall break. I wanted to stay in my community, but Dad said no. ereaer, I drove around miserably on the imaginary col- lege belt-line right by myself, round and round and round. When I did finally exit, I parked my dented and sputtering '61 Psyche at a somewhat ratty little building in the center of campus. Inside was a commu- nity of about 35 other misfits who had been high school stars at everything they tried, but who were now fight- ing to survive. e building was called a fraternity house. In actuality, it was a community. It was a small group of like-minded people trying to accom- plish something side-by-side. And it ab- solutely saved me at that stage of my life. I gathered together 18 of those guys at the NC coast last October. I told my middle child upon my euphoric return home that it was like we never le each other, though I had not seen at least seven of them in 30 years. To quote my 15-year-old son's attempt at under- standing, "was it like you just got back from Spring Break?" Yes, it was exactly like that! (But what do you know about Spring Break, 15-year-old son?) e point is that even aer the parts break up and disperse, the wholeness of true community never dies. Two things need to happen to build "community." e people in the car whirring around the imagined belt- line have to be willing to take the exit ramp to a place they do not know. at family from the real estate closing was willing to drive into town, get out of the car and look optimistically at our city. ey expected to find "community" and they strove to enhance it aer they found it. e other thing is that the peo- ple already here, especially the ones of us who have been here all along, have to invite the newcomers into our lives. We have to invite them to church, pro- mote our events and involve them. We have to befriend them. We have to do it genuinely. While freedom reigns in the US, we can live anywhere we want. Living in- side a community trumps life on the beltline. CV

• Cover