News & Observer | newsobserver.com | No Ordinary Day: 2002

May 22, 2002 John L. White
His workshop is strangely quiet and empty. Just a few days ago, a rich assortment of hoses, belts, brushes and bags, tiny spare parts and precious hand tools crowded this Durham shop. Henry Davis, owner of Bull City Vac and Sew, marveled at the transformation. It wasn't a bad thing, he said resolutely; it was his day to retire... again. Davis' first retirement was forced on him with the closing of the industrial fastener company he worked for as a District Manager. “I was always good at fixing things," he said. "I wanted to see if I could do something with my hands again.” Now Davis is looking to slow down after 10 years running Bull City Vac and Sew. “I bought a little cabin up on Gaston Lake in Virginia, and I’m going to spend the next 3 months there hiding out,” he said. Easier said than done; the first week at his new retreat, a neighbor brought Henry a sewing machine to fix.
About This Project


Takaaki Iwabu
"No Ordinary Day" is a visual diary of the events, both large and small, that serve as milestones in people's lives. It debuted on March 24, 2002 and concluded on Aug. 29, 2007. We hope you continue to enjoy looking at our archive of “No Ordinary Day” images.


Travis Long
The column is a celebration of the struggles, triumphs and tears we experience as we travel from birth to death. Our goal was to document moments in time that might otherwise be missed; sometimes it's the tiniest incident in one's life that has the most profound effect. When on assignment for the column, we looked for that one photo that tells a whole story. Some are the result of a found moment we came across on our daily assignments or our daily existence. For others, we thought of a specific event, like a first haircut or last dance, and sought out a subject who might illustrate the idea.

More photos: 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006

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