Wineka column – Feeling liberated up on a roof

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009

The other day, photographer Jon Lakey and I happened to walk onto the roof of the old Friendly Cue pool hall.
The Piedmont Players organization has been in the demolition phase of transforming the 1920s structure into a children’s theater. We followed our guide, Clyde Overcash, through an open, second-floor passage and there we were, looking down on South Lee Street.
A quarter turn, and we could see the tops of cars parked behind City Hall.
Standing on a flat city rooftop is a liberating experience. It affords, of course, a whole new perspective of Salisbury. It always gives me, for example, an appreciation for how big our downtown buildings are ó how far they extend back into the block from their narrow storefronts.
The air seems fresher up there, too, and I wonder why people don’t spend more time on their roofs, especially in the milder days and nights of spring and fall.
If safe, downtown rooftops offer a great place for relaxing, gardening, stargazing, sunbathing and participating ó dare I say ó in nude photo shoots.
With trepidation, I remind you that in the early evening of Oct. 16 folks in downtown Salisbury were “treated” to a spectacle. A pair of young, naked women frolicked in front of a photographer on the rooftop of the three-story Oestreicher Building.
When I heard about this the next day, my first reactions were what you might expect from a haggard journalist. Why didn’t someone call me? And why don’t I take more early evening walks downtown?
In writing a story about the photo shoot, I also did what any hack reporter would do. I started thinking of all the cute words and phrases to fit this incident. I kept returning to “exposed” and “exposure” or “moon” and “mooning” or “in their altogether.”
Strains of the song, “Up on the Roof” also kept running through my head, especially the line that says “Right smack dab in the middle of town, I’ve found a paradise that’s trouble proof.”
The rooftop photo shoot wasn’t completely trouble proof. A Salisbury police officer greeted the photographer and his two models, fully clothed by that time, as they came down the back fire escape. He told the trio to cease and desist and if they ever returned, he would arrest them.
As time has passed, the rooftop modeling session has become a topic of conversation. Turns out more than a few people witnessed the free-spirited posing from the street or second-floor windows.
Overcash claims someone from a nearby business has pictures. And I’ve heard differing accounts as to whether the rooftop moonflowers were playing to spectators on the street or were oblivious to their audience.
No matter, pedestrians can’t help but look up these days when they stroll along South Main Street.
Who were these people? Will they return some day? Have they started something others will try to imitate? Will Oct. 16 in years to come be celebrated with an “Up on the Roof” downtown festival when merchants invite customers to the tops of their buildings where clothing is optional?
We could be on the cusp of something big here.
Even though Jon had a camera in his hands the other day, I showed restraint and kept my clothes on.
But I tell you again, there’s something liberating about getting away from the hustling crowd and all that rat-race noise down in the street.