Later that same year, 1985, I was offered and accepted an engineering position with Charlotte's then largest and most influential employer -- the mighty Duke Power Company who at the time practically owned the Queen City. I actually was not very excited about this job because I really really wanted to work for IBM which was more closely related to my degree -- Electronics Engineering. But I guess they were not really hiring future great employees at the time; there lost! I remember being shown around town by one of the Duke Power guys but for some reason he avoided the west, southwest, and northwest sides of town. Hmmmmmmmm, I wonder why? Could it have been because those were and still are the Black sides of town? Inquiring minds want to know! It would be a while before I realized that more Blacks lived in Charlotte than the ones on my job.
I remember Hosie -- my former engineering mentor -- literally drawing me a map of how to get to Beatties Ford Road (The Black side) from North Sharon-Amity Road which was mostly white back then. He took me on the scenic route via Harris Boulevard -- which was the country back then -- and I ended up on North Beatties Ford Road coming in off Cindy Lane. My destination was to Edwards Barber Shop which still appears (According to the internet) to be located in the strip mall down from what used to be the U.S. Post Office which is now owned by Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. I had some great times being a fly on the wall at this establishment listening and learning about my new city. I also had some great times with my hair at the time! Little did I know at the time that that same road would be the source of much success and unfortunate failures in the years to come.
I spent the first five years in Charlotte enjoying my success as an engineer, U.S. Army Reserve Drill Instructor, sports enthusiast, and wanna be playa playa. It was really on when I purchased my first new automobile in 1987; it was a brand new, fresh off the lot, still in the plastic, new car smellin Nissan 200SX Black (My favorite color) sports coupe with flip up headlights, grey clothe seats, a boomin sound system, 5-speed stick, and a sun/moon roof. I still remember my salesman; his name was Jim Walthall or something like that. It was really really on when I finally learned how to drive a stick; my then roommate taught me in the back parking lot of the old Independence Arena now Bojangles Arena off East Independence Boulevard. I lived at the time right next door in the now infamous Doral Apartments well known today for flooding.
This new meat wagon was my ticket to winning the game of skirt chasing which consisted of yours truly hunting down and catching as many cuties as possible in the shortest period of time and spending as little as possible on the hunt. Hey, I was single and free to mingle! One of my favorite hunting grounds was the now historic (To the brothas and sistas in the know) club rightfully named as Another World which was located exactly where the Tropical Lounge is currently off of Beatties Ford Road near Interstate 85. The door man was a character by the name of Mr. T (Not the A Team Star) and those of you that know or knew him know that he was indeed animated. For example, he would greet every guest that entered his club with a warm salutation while holding a wad of cash; when I say wad, I mean so much cash that he had to struggle to keep it balled up in his severely expanded fist. Another World was just one cut above a juke joint a.k.a. liquor house or after hours club. In fact, it was the second club that I crashed here after the old K&Q (Kings and Queens) in Uptown off South Brevard and 4th Streets. Young playas today would perhaps call it a second or last chance club if you know what I mean. No matter what day of the week, this club was jumpin. It had the best buffet in town that featured real food like chicken wings, potato salad, meat balls, etc...One last salute to the historic Another World and Mr. T!
I remember Hosie -- my former engineering mentor -- literally drawing me a map of how to get to Beatties Ford Road (The Black side) from North Sharon-Amity Road which was mostly white back then. He took me on the scenic route via Harris Boulevard -- which was the country back then -- and I ended up on North Beatties Ford Road coming in off Cindy Lane. My destination was to Edwards Barber Shop which still appears (According to the internet) to be located in the strip mall down from what used to be the U.S. Post Office which is now owned by Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. I had some great times being a fly on the wall at this establishment listening and learning about my new city. I also had some great times with my hair at the time! Little did I know at the time that that same road would be the source of much success and unfortunate failures in the years to come.
I spent the first five years in Charlotte enjoying my success as an engineer, U.S. Army Reserve Drill Instructor, sports enthusiast, and wanna be playa playa. It was really on when I purchased my first new automobile in 1987; it was a brand new, fresh off the lot, still in the plastic, new car smellin Nissan 200SX Black (My favorite color) sports coupe with flip up headlights, grey clothe seats, a boomin sound system, 5-speed stick, and a sun/moon roof. I still remember my salesman; his name was Jim Walthall or something like that. It was really really on when I finally learned how to drive a stick; my then roommate taught me in the back parking lot of the old Independence Arena now Bojangles Arena off East Independence Boulevard. I lived at the time right next door in the now infamous Doral Apartments well known today for flooding.
This new meat wagon was my ticket to winning the game of skirt chasing which consisted of yours truly hunting down and catching as many cuties as possible in the shortest period of time and spending as little as possible on the hunt. Hey, I was single and free to mingle! One of my favorite hunting grounds was the now historic (To the brothas and sistas in the know) club rightfully named as Another World which was located exactly where the Tropical Lounge is currently off of Beatties Ford Road near Interstate 85. The door man was a character by the name of Mr. T (Not the A Team Star) and those of you that know or knew him know that he was indeed animated. For example, he would greet every guest that entered his club with a warm salutation while holding a wad of cash; when I say wad, I mean so much cash that he had to struggle to keep it balled up in his severely expanded fist. Another World was just one cut above a juke joint a.k.a. liquor house or after hours club. In fact, it was the second club that I crashed here after the old K&Q (Kings and Queens) in Uptown off South Brevard and 4th Streets. Young playas today would perhaps call it a second or last chance club if you know what I mean. No matter what day of the week, this club was jumpin. It had the best buffet in town that featured real food like chicken wings, potato salad, meat balls, etc...One last salute to the historic Another World and Mr. T!
No comments:
Post a Comment