Atlanta

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Today I visited an amazing national park focused on MLK Jr.’s life and teachings. The park consists of his birth home (where he lived until he was 12 years old). It was located on the east side of Boulevard, which was the dividing marker of a white vs. Black neighborhood. Auburn Avenue was a desirable area for Black citizens. In 1906 a race riot occurred and then Blacks were able to buy homes in the area, which MLK Jr.’s grandfather purchased. The home is currently closed for repairs, as was the visitor center. The visitor center is temporarily in the historic Fire Station No. 6. Blacks were not allowed in the fire house until the 60’s!

I also visited The King Center, which had a small exhibit inside and, outside, a reflection pool and the tombs of Dr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King Jr. I attended a tour with a park ranger of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. The church is 140 years old this April and has had only five senior pastors in that entire time. The ranger’s presentation was interesting and informative and I learned a lot. Did you know that MLK Jr’s name was Michael until he was five years old, when it was changed to Martin?

The tour started in the fellowship hall (basement) and then moved to the sanctuary where the church is still in its original state. Even the pews are original, as is the piano that Mama King would play until she was shot and killed in 1974. This NP is a must-see and is even free, believe it or not.

Hotlanta!

Posted on by Seniye Groff

I’ve been in Atlanta less than three weeks and it feels like months. Granted, I’ve been busy cleaning, organizing and running errands. But a routine is forming, too. I joined a gym for the next three months and it offers a bevvy of activities such as open play Pickleball, Barre, Pilates, Yoga and even trivia night (which we placed third – amazingly – given my lack of erroneous knowledge).


My day starts (and ends) with walking three dogs…wowzah! Anyone watching must be waiting for a catastrophe to happen. All three dogs sleep with me nightly, too. I am wedged in the corner of the bed – the dogs sleep comfortably.

Being in one place means being able to cook again. Yesterday at the grocery store, I felt a tap on my shoulder. When I turned, someone kindly said, “You are beautiful”. Whoa, that hasn’t happened in 30 years!

I’ve met several Turkish people. That never happens. I recognized the language immediately and one of them is helping me reinvigorate my lacking command of the language.

I survived the ice storm. We lost power for four hours and ice coated the roads. The daytime highs range from 16 to 28 degrees…not exactly the warm, Southern weather I anticipated. Snow is forecasted again for this Saturday but should not be as debilitating as the ice.

I am getting braver about driving here. Yes, I drove across the country but am timid in Atlanta due to the myriad of the spiderweb tangle of I-285, I-20, I-75 and I-85 and the smaller side roads like 140. It’s intimidating but I will figure it out since next week my car is being serviced. I will drive the farthest distance, yet, in the city.

This weekend we are renting a U-Haul to move belongings from an assisted living unit to the storage unit. Once this happens, I should have more time to explore Atlanta and beyond. My immediate exploration list includes Asheville (scheduled for February 26-March 1), Charleston, New Orleans and Montgomery (to see The Legacy Museum).

Life is not flawless (even if social media tries to convince us otherwise) and my experimental journey stretches me on a daily basis. But I know that I am lucky to have this freedom and am enjoying this unburdened time. Having a stopping point for three months is a great break from being in a different location nightly. I have a temporary address so I can complete some larger tasks. Come visit me.