Carla Osborne, Wake County
How has North Carolina shaped your own story?
"I’ve been around long enough to see the transition from tobacco, textiles and furniture to what we see today. We’re going through another transition and transitions can be scary. Most people want to earn an honest living and take care of their families. Knowing that hard working people like my parents weathered the changes and kept our state vibrant gives me hope. Growing up, there was a great sense of state pride. I carry that with me today. I have lived in different parts of the state and homegrown North Carolinians, as well as those who have moved here and embraced our state, are the most generous and caring people you’ll find."
Tell us something about your town, city, or community.
"I grew up in a small community in the northwest corner of the state. We had a couple of stores and a post office. All though it sounds cliché, we really did look out for one another. If someone suffered a loss, the whole community was there. Our neighbor Joe Robinson would always plow everybody’s driveway when it snowed. My mom took neighbors who didn’t drive to the grocery store. There were lots of acts of kindness that I witnessed. If there was something to celebrate, you could count on everyone being your cheerleader. The hometown paper still features high school sports as the big story and publishes the honor roll. Knowing that I was cared about by my community made me who I am today. I’m grateful for it. The world saw that kindness and those strong connections when Hurricane Helene hit. There was an outpouring of love and generosity that softened even the hardest of hearts.
When I first moved to Raleigh, there was much more of a small town feel. One day shortly after I moved to the Capital City, an older gentleman held the door for me when I was entering a store. I thanked him and said, “There are still gentleman left in the world.” He smiled and replied in that wonderful, buttery Raleigh accent that’s now almost extinct,”Young lady, you are in North Carolina. Of course there are gentlemen left.”
People sometimes talk about “Mayberry” when referring to Raleigh or other North Carolina locations. Sometimes they don’t say it in a way that’s a compliment. I think it’s a good thing when we are referenced as “Mayberry”, because the heart of that concept is kindness and people caring about others. That’s a wonderful thing, which should be celebrated."
Tell us about someone who made or makes North Carolina what it is—in a positive way.
"There’s no way to talk about just one, as there are so many! There are the leaders like Jim Hunt, Jim Holshouser, Howard Lee, Ruth Easterling, Terry Sanford, Bill Friday and Hugh Morton, who come to mind. Many of our leaders gave so much of themselves when they could have channeled their energy to endeavors that benefitted only themselves. But really, the people who make North Carolina great are the regular folks. Collectively our state has so many hard-working people that make it great, picking only one is impossible. The one thing they all have in common is their generosity of spirit."