I tried my hardest not to remain my cynical self in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene. I tried to assume that the folks posting incessantly about the disaster on social media were trying to help and spread awareness, versus what my gut told me many of them were doing: trying to one-up each other in a competition to see who’d be the wokest responder to the disaster; elevating personal brands in a race to not be like “the other girls.”
It was kind of funny to witness, because they’d follow a pattern. At first, they’d be posting photos and videos of the devastation. They then collectively moved to posting memes telling you to absolutely NOT donate to the Red Cross, but rather smaller, local charities like Beloved (this is not a knock to Beloved, they’ve done excellent work and when I did a supply run to Asheville, that’s where I went; I just don’t know that the approach I’d take would be shaming folks donating to the Red Cross), and then the discourse changed to telling followers not to worry about Asheville. Asheville has more than enough money and resources, these folks would say. The small towns outside Asheville aren’t receiving the media attention and aid necessary to rebound. That’s where you need to focus your energy. These folks made Swannanoa their entire personality. They became representatives of Marshall, Hot Springs, Burnsville, and Spruce Pine. They rode hard for Black Mountain and Old Fort.
These small towns surrounding Asheville truly don’t have the same name recognition or resources as Asheville does. They did need the extra spotlight and help. But the cynical part of me then, which feels like it’s getting some kind of validation now, thought, “I wonder how long y’all are going to keep making Swannoa your personality; I wonder if you’ve ever even been to Marshall, or plan on going in the future.”
Now, to be fair, plenty of Asheville locals didn’t only perform allegiance to these small towns over their Instagrams or TikToks but are still committed to helping them thrive. A couple of weeks ago, my friend Dani and I learned that Mad Co. Brew House in Marshall was reopening and that Big Pillow and Bluff Mountain Outfitter in Hot Springs were ready for visitors, so we dedicated a Sunday funday to heading north. We stopped in Marshall first. Compared to Asheville, the devastation was still stark. Cars still lay on their sides. Buildings remained gutted. A gazebo rolled around on its side in a parking lot.. It felt reminiscent of the time Dani and I first drove through River Arts the weekend after the storm. I felt my throat closing up and held back tears. She just silently cried.
Mad Co. smelled like it was flooded, but the staff was clearly excited to be back at work, and the place was absolutely packed. We left in very high spirits. Similarly, Big Pillow was popping, and when we stopped at Bluff Mountain to make some purchases, the woman manning the cash register thanked us for “making the trip up”. She told us how touched she was that so many people from Asheville had come by that weekend just to “show support and buy things they clearly didn’t need.” I saw a couple of friends post in the ensuing weeks from Mad Co. and Big Pillow. It was heartwarming to witness. These friends hadn’t used their social media to lecture others about how to respond in the wake of Helene—just solid people who didn’t turn a disaster into a who’s-the-wokest dick measuring contest.
You’ll be shocked that none of the folks who’d decided to make Marshall, Hot Springs, Swannanoa, or Burnsville’s recuperation their personalities following the storm had mentioned these small towns since. As of this writing, they haven’t been posting from Big Pillow or Bluff Mountain. One posted their engagement photos from The Biltmore recently. Another was regularly posting from beach towns they’d decamped to during the rebuild. Another’s been exploring the dining scene in Greenville.
Marshall and Hot Springs had their official reopening celebrations this past weekend. They could still use the help. While they’ve “reopened,” there are still many vacant storefronts. Almost everywhere I stopped—I made the trip up again, specifically to have a drink on Zadie’s patio—still had GoFundMe QR codes to provide extra support posted.
I hope those folks who made these towns their personalites back in the fall realize they can still represent Marshall, Hot Springs, Burnsville, Spruce Pine, Black Mountain, and Old Fort hard, and they probably wouldn’t even lose any woke points and get positive reactions for their personal brands. However, I have a feeling they’re not going to; not when the Greenville dining scene is calling. I’m not as committed to trying to temper my cynicism these days.
AshevilleExplorer 