February 20, 2026 – Turning Into New Corners

We did not go far today, but we went differently.

Roanoke has a way of folding you into routine. Same roads. Same intersections. Same errands. So we made a small decision to push outward, to finally step into a couple of places we had passed for years without entering.

We started with a familiar stop at Dunkin’. Not new, but dependable. I ordered an unsweetened iced tea and stirred in two Equals until it tasted exactly right. We gathered our food, then instead of driving on, we parked for a moment and let it become a late breakfast, even though it was edging closer to 1 pm by then. The clock insisted it was afternoon. Our guts argued otherwise.

There is something quietly indulgent about eating breakfast at 1 pm. No rush. Just sitting there in the car, sunlight slanting through the windshield, wrappers rustling, conversation drifting easily. It felt unstructured in the best way.

Our first true new stop was H.C. Baker Batteries and Electronics. I have driven past it countless times. Inside, it felt like discovering the hidden framework of everyday life. Rows of batteries in every imaginable size. Coiled cables hanging in neat loops. Adapters and connectors arranged with careful logic.

The place carried a sense of capability. It felt grounded and purposeful, like quiet evidence that most small disruptions can be resolved with the right component from the right shelf. We wandered slowly, scanning labels, appreciating the specificity of it all.

From there we went to the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop. The shift was immediate. Softer lighting. The faint scent of fabric and old books. Racks of clothes that had seen other seasons. Shelves of dishes that once belonged to other kitchens and conversations.

Thrift stores always feel like intersections of stories. Objects paused between chapters. We moved through without hurry, picking things up, imagining their past lives, deciding whether they might fit into ours.

What stayed with me most was the sense of expansion. Roanoke felt slightly larger by the end of the afternoon.

Not because we traveled far.

But because we finally stepped into places that had been waiting all along.