Tears and romance in music city…
Nashville…
Nashville was our first real destination in the sense that it felt like a far away place, that we always wanted to visit but have never been.We have been to Colorado and Utah and they felt nice and cozy and close to home. Everywhere else was just on the path to our destination east. Nashville is the first of those destinations. I am just starting to get home sick. I miss my kids. I miss the dogs. I miss my bed. I really miss our moderate climate, but were in too deep now, theres no sense in turning back, now begins the journey to the southern east coast.
We found a KOA campground just outside of Nashville that has a convenient shuttle to the downtown area. We arrived on Friday so we figured we would have no trouble finding some great music. I am not sure why, but I always imagined Nashville as a relatively small city, quaint, with a few country bars maybe a little like New Orleans. It was quite a shock to me when I stepped off the bus. The sensory overload was no joke. Tall buildings, flashing lights, honkey Tonk bars everywhere you looked, music screaming from all of them, people everywhere. If it wasn’t the music from the bars it was the music from the party trucks people reserve. People and lights and deafening sound everywhere!!! At first I stood there a little dazed and confused.
As we wandered up the street you could listen in the open windows for a few minutes and decide if you like the music enough to go in and get a drink. There really was no bad music. It was all great. I was glad when Jimmie decided on a place and we could get a cold beer and sit down. He was definitely in his happy place. We listened to a great band at Alan Jacksons bar. The singer was a young kid with a great manly voice and he seemed to know every song that was requested. I was hoping he would sing Alan Jacksons song Remember when … its one of my favorites and I feel like its “our” song and since it was our 30 year anniversary I hoped we could dance to it. But no luck , we never heard it.
Music is such a powerful thing. It stirs up so much emotion and although I possess not an ounce of musical talent I sure appreciate those who do. Another band we were listening to played the song “live like you were dying” .. suddenly my eyes were filled with tears. I couldn’t help but think of my brother Dave and how he loved his motorcycle rides. He died last summer and I am still trying to process that. The lyrics go like this…
I went sky diving
I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu
And I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness Ive bee denying
And he said some day I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dying…
My brother didn’t get to do all those things, but I think he did the best he could with the circumstances he had. He loved riding his motorcycle and a memory I will always carry with me is him taking me for a ride down west cliff drive in Santa Cruz blaring his favorite music. I loved that David used to come see Rio my horse with me. A few times he took me there on his bike and patiently waited for me while I did my barn chores. He loved horses and riding also. As a kid he was the best big brother any little girl could ask for. I have the best memories of him taking me to catch my first fish, toting me around to the teenage parties, carrying me on his shoulders, buying me ice cream. Through my teen years he was always there for me. Always loving and generous. I loved him dearly. His life was difficult. He wasn’t the same person at the end, but he did the best he could. My heart still physically hurts when I think about him or the terrible way cancer ate away at him, at the pain in his broken heart from the hurt in his life. I try not to think about it, but grief is a funny thing and sometimes it just unexpectedly gets you when your least expecting it, like in a crowded honkey tonk bar in Nashville.
People watching in Nashville is a recreation in itself. This must be the bachelorette party capitol of the world. I have to say, Nashville is really a place to come with friends. I was really missing my girl friends. The girls are the ones who really have fun in Nashville. When you see the party busses go by the girls are dancing and hooting and hollering and waving to everyone. The men on the busses just stand there just trying their best to look cool. There is no shortage of lively characters in Nashville.
We met the nicest couple at the campground on Sunday. Making new friends while traveling always creates the fondest memories. They invited us to join them that night with the other couple they were with to do an escape room and listen to some blues. I still feel the same about the escape rooms. Jimmie loves them, I couldn’t escape if my life depended on it. We had a great time with them and it was so nice to be in the company of others. We ended up singing Karaoke. So I guess I blew my theory that you can’t find bad music in Nashville. It was a Sunday night and we had the place to ourselves. Thank Goodness Shannon our new friend had a beautiful voice so she was our saving grace otherwise they may have kicked us out especially when I gave my best at singing a Lauren Hill song. I threw some bad dance moves in for good measure. As we left the Karoke and walked back down stairs the band was playing my Alan Jackson song Remember when…!!! The lyrics start out as
Remember when, I was young, and so were you
And time stood still, and love was all we knew
You were the first so was I
We made love and then you cried
Remember when
Remember when, we vowed the vows, and walked the walk
Gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard
We lived and learned, life through us curves
There was Joy, there was hurt
Remember when ……
We couldn’t believe the timing!! We grabbed each other and danced. There was that music stirring up emotion again, but this time it was happy, thankful, romantic. We had the world to ourselves at that moment just Alan Jackson and us. What a way to end our last night in Nashville.
The next morning I ordered some breakfast at the campground cafe. The gentlemen asked me “ Where are you from young lady?”
“California”.
“Well that is a shame, I am sorry..”.
I said “you are the third person to tell me that.. why does everyone keep saying that?”
He started in on a political rant about The governor and masks and shut downs and how California is on fire and why have we not built plants that take the water from ocean to put out the fires and the topper was… California is working to ban pork… I have not heard that one…what will we all do without Bacon?
“ Well its a crying shame you are so busy making my pancakes at the campground when you have solved so many global issues, they really should make you governor so it seems!” …
Well that is what I said in my mind anyway. I smiled.
”Well I am sorry you feel that way.
”I took my coffee and pancakes and when I knew I was clear out of sight I think my eyes rolled out of my head.
To the smoky mountains we go…. I have no idea what to expect, but looking forward to more nature and peace and quiet.