For parents, the hectic life is back
Plus: The top news of the week: Verbal punches thrown in dispute between county, CMS — South Charlotte parents upset over possible school assignment changes — Duke Energy to reduce offices by 60%
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The pandemic brought the promise of a simpler life. Now, calendars are filling again as we shuttle kids and eat meals on-the-go.
One year ago, pandemic evenings were spent at home with our families and nowhere to go. Now, for many parents, it seems that we’ve snapped back into our pre-Covid race to shuttle children to activities and juggle our own lives in the process.
by Cristina Bolling
Somewhere toward the beginning of the pandemic, my friends and I sat in camping chairs in a corporate center parking lot and searched for perspective about what our mom lives had become in this new Covid world.
We talked about coaching our kids through the disappointment of high school musicals that were rehearsed exhaustively but never saw opening night, the birthday parties relegated to drive-bys and driveway chalk, summer camps and sports seasons canceled.
But there was a feeling of relief, too. Life had been too busy before. Was this the reset we all needed? Could it be that once this global nightmare was over, we’d take a hard look at the busy-ness of our schedules and put back only what was truly meaningful? Like a Marie Condo exercise for the family calendar?
Well, I’m here to tell you that that hasn’t happened.
As I write this, I sit in my minivan in a dance-school parking lot, balancing a laptop on my lap with a turkey sandwich that is my dinner beside me. I’ve parked just the right way so that as the sun sets, it neither blinds me nor creates a glare on my computer screen. Other moms and dads around me are doing the same. We are experts in this.
Many of us will rush out of this parking lot when our young dancers emerge and either run home to put a late dinner on the table or drive our other children elsewhere. Work. Shuttle kids. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.
I say this not to complain, nor to argue that it shouldn’t be this way. Surely our children should do the things that bring them joy and help them grow as young people, and it’s a luxury and a blessing for those of us who can enable that to happen.
But I will say that as a society — and I include myself in this — we’re not very good at pulling the reins on the things that overwhelm our lives.
I texted some of those same parking-lot friends this week with a question: “As parents, do you feel like your activity level is getting sort of close to what it was pre-Covid?”
The first answer came less than a minute after I hit send: “Maycember is back this year for me.”
Then another: “Honestly, it is quite overwhelming. … Before Covid, we would layer one more thing on top of our overflowing plates and then one more thing … then another … then another. But it was gradual. Now, we went from Covid back to overflowing plates and it is a dramatic shift.”
And one more: “I think that our activity level is getting close to pre-Covid but in a different way — I think that I’m a little more hesitant and probably a little more guarded.”
May, which many of us parents call “Maycember” for its hectic pace that matches (if not exceeds) the holiday season, is the month of dance recitals and travel sports tournaments, Boy Scout campouts, piano recitals and end-of-year school parties.
Last year’s “Maycember” hiatus, when we were mourning the absence of these activities and spending our nights watching Netflix and taking family walks (in our case, with our new pandemic puppy leading the way), seems very far away.
Do I wish we could get back to those days again?
Of course not. Well, maybe a little.
It’s good to finally be going places. We’re grateful that the dance studios, sports leagues and private music teachers made it through the pandemic and are back to enrich our lives.
But will I look back on May 2020 with a twinge of nostalgia for the quiet nights and family time, with no feelings of guilt for slacking off, no fear-of-missing-out for what we could have been doing?
Most definitely.
Cristina Bolling, The Ledger’s managing editor, lives in Ballantyne with her husband, three active children and her pandemic dog: cristina@cltledger.com
Today’s supporting sponsor is Soni Brendle:
This week in Charlotte: Former Davidson trustees’ email to thousands of alums causes a stir; big raises ahead for mayor, city council; companies get creative in search for workers
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Education
South Charlotte school assignment changes: (Ledger 🔒) South Charlotte parents are gearing up for a school assignment battle, as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools rolled out proposed changes affecting Myers Park High and South Mecklenburg High. There’s a public hearing before the school board on Tuesday.
Email uproar at Davidson: (Ledger 🔒) A group of 11 prominent former trustees at Davidson College, including a former governor and a sitting congressman, emailed thousands of alumni to call attention to what they said is rising social and political activism. The email caused a stir, and the college says it’s investigating how the group got ahold of the email list.
Politics
CMS-county funding fight intensifies (Ledger): In the middle of a funding dispute, county commissioners chairman George Dunlap slammed the leadership of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, saying Superintendent Earnest Winston is an inexperienced educator and former newspaper reporter who “drove for Peter Gorman,” a former superintendent. CMS board chair Elyse Dashew said she was “appalled” by the personal attack. The two sides are fighting over a county plan to withhold $56M in school funding until CMS presents a measurable plan to improve student performance.
Big raises likely for mayor, City Council: (WSOC) City Council members seem likely to give themselves and Charlotte’s mayor big raises as part of the city budget. At a committee meeting this week, council members indicated support for a proposal to raise the mayor’s total compensation by 30%, to $59,868, and to raise the total compensation of council members by 52%, to $52,444. The council’s two Republican members opposed the pay hikes but seem to lack the votes to stop them. Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt, who supports the raises, said they would help “attract all kinds of people that are still wanting to serve.”
Local news
No charges in Elizabeth City: (Raleigh News & Observer) The district attorney for Elizabeth City, in northeast North Carolina, declined to charge sheriff’s deputies in the April shooting death of Andrew Brown Jr. The DA said the shooting was justified because his actions caused deputies to “reasonably believe it was necessary to use deadly force to protect themselves and others.” The case has attracted national attention.
Business
Duke office downsizing: (Biz Journal) Duke Energy, one of uptown’s largest employers, says it plans to vacate the Duke Energy Center building and consolidate its headquarters at the new Duke Energy Plaza building under construction on South Tryon Street. Wells Fargo plans to expand in the Duke Energy Center site, which is the building with the handlebar at the top. In all, Duke plans to reduce its office square footage by 60%, it said.
Duke urged to split up: (Wall Street Journal) One of Duke Energy’s largest investors, Elliott Management Corp., is publicly urging the utility to split into three geographically based utilities. Duke says the move is unwise and that its stock price has exceeded industry benchmarks.
2040 plan revisions: (WCNC) The city of Charlotte released a revised version of its 2040 Comprehensive Plan, incorporating minor changes the City Council approved this week. It is scheduled for a vote next month.
Sports
Hornets skid out of playoffs: (NBA) The Charlotte Hornets’ season ended, as the team got blown out in the NBA’s play-in tournament by Indiana. They finished the season with six straight losses.
Good reads
Progressives battle each other in Durham: (The Assembly) Accusations of racism linger in Durham, following the ouster of its Black county manager by white commissioners. “On a surface level, Durham seems to be at the forefront of all kinds of racial equity issues,” an N.C. Central professor said. “But once you start lifting up the hood, it looks very different up close.”
Memories and future of The Penguin: (North Carolina Rabbit Hole) Jeremy Markovich talks to the former owner of The Penguin, which has plans to restart on East Boulevard in Dilworth and add ramen to its menu, alongside the traditional burgers and fried pickles. “The Penguin as it used to be is just a memory at this point,” he writes. “Maybe there’s some value left to be squeezed out. Or not.”
From the Ledger family of newsletters
His name was Chuck Norris: (Ways of Life 🔒) Remembering a Marine from Charlotte named Chuck Norris. He served in Vietnam and had his first date with his future wife of 54 years at Bar-B-Q King on Wilkinson Boulevard.
Ron Tober Q&A: (Transit Time) Former CATS chief Ron Tober critiques Charlotte’s transit plan, saying it would be better if the proposed Silver Line ran underground through uptown and went closer to the airport — and he says the way the city is handling the proposed line to Mecklenburg’s northern towns is “B.S.”
Ledger originals
Stepping up the search for workers: (Wednesday 🔒) Charlotte companies in a range of industries are having to get creative to find qualified workers, as many seem to be staying home and taking advantage of enhanced unemployment benefits. A construction company is using location-based digital ads, and a doggie daycare sends workers undercover to find pet groomers.
Handshake or fist bump? (Wednesday 🔒) In-person greetings are getting awkward, because people are unsure if they should shake hands or bump fists. We asked a doctor and etiquette expert what to do about this pressing issue.
No Covid baby boom: (Wednesday 🔒) Data from the county register of deeds shows that Mecklenburg County births are lagging behind last year’s pace, indicating that a pandemic-inspired baby boom has not materialized.
Sports Connection comeback: (Wednesday 🔒) Half a year after indicating it would probably reopen only as a special event space, Sports Connection in Ballantyne has adjusted and reopened. It’s a popular family entertainment center — and even hosted 17 birthday parties last Saturday.
Quail Hollow monster: (Monday) Is there a lake creature at Quail Hollow? A video from this month’s golf tournament shows there’s something big in the water out there. Tournament officials insist it is a large fish, nothing more.
Going maskless: (Monday) More and more retailers around Charlotte abandoned mask requirements this week for customers who are vaccinated, including Starbucks, Harris Teeter and Walgreens.
Plaza-Midwood development to displace International House: (Friday 🔒) Tenants of the Midwood International & Cultural Center, including the non-profit International House, will need to find a new home by 2023, because the former school they occupy is being transferred to a developer in exchange for new administrative office buildings for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
BofA fee lawsuit: (Friday 🔒) Bank of America agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit filed in Charlotte for $75M. It alleged the bank raked in excessive overdraft fees by charging customers multiple times for the same attempted payment.
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