A Democrat in Nashville
I needed to look at a map of the United States this morning to be certain that Tennessee is in fact, in the United States. Although only an hour and a half flight from DC it is a giant cultural step backward where the “N” word is still used to describe non- whites and people proudly display the confederate flag along side yellow and black yard signs that read “Keep your Eyes on Jesus”. The dichotomy is fascinating as misogyny and bigotry occupy the same god-fearing body in a community of people oblivious to their hypocrisy. The only thing worse than a non-white in Nashville is a Democrat. I did see one Obama sticker when I was there though I was too distracted by the billboard whose 6 foot lettering cryptically read: “THANK YOU FOR GROWING MY BOYFRIEND’S HAIR”.
Suburban Nashville is extraordinarily wealthy and its streets are more often than not punctuated with churches on 4 corners. This is a family-value kind of place where stay-at-home moms are the norm, where prayers around the 5pm dinner table give way to homework and a game of scrabble before the 10pm news. People there are so nice that the jaded east-coaste-r in me wondered if their genial tone was in fact mocking me.
As I often do when I travel, I look at places and put them into several categories: Hate it, and hate going there (Texas and Florida), Love it but not sure I could live there (Colorado and California), Love it and could see myself at the local coffee shop on a Saturday (Kansas City, Virginia, Chicago). Nashville left me… confused and wanting to go back if for no other reason than my need to make it fit nicely into the box that gives my life order.
My good friends and former neighbors recently moved there to realize a shared dream where their baby can grow up under wide blue skies in the shadow of trees instead of skyscrapers. The part of me that wants a baby thinks, defensively perhaps, “what’s wrong with skyscrapers???” but having seen the lake-front land where they plan to build a home, I get it. Or at least, I get it in as much as I can.
Baby Yum is 4 ½ months old now and at 24 inches long and pushing 22 lbs, he is vital and strong inheriting his easy-going nature from both parents. We did a lot of driving in an around Nashville but I would have been equally content kissing his belly and smelling his sweet head.
Bug, in the gentle way that only she can, put her size 12 foot down on the state of my physical well being and I’ve pledge to be 30lbs thinner when I go back to Nashville for the Country Music Festival. She in turn has vowed to gift me an i-tune library of country songs to learn. I may start line-dancing.
Once upon a time I was a passenger in a cute topless car on the way to our nations Zoo when I heard the voice of a warm and comforting soul speak of a time when she ran the trails near the zoo and remarked that they were of the most beautiful places she loved. Perhaps she will run them again, or walk them again to be reminded of that love and calm.
I am so proud of your steps in a new and extremely healthy direction, I hope that your goals take you where you long to be.
P.S.
Make a list of those things you want in the man department. Opra says it works…
Well, Paula has challenged me to run the 5k July 4th at midnight in Dunedin… I know you HATE Florida… but maybe you could join us?
I shared this blog with a friend who was going to be experiencing Nashville. Guess what?!? She had EXACTLY the same reaction! She’s from Philadelphia. Must be an east coast snob thing. And I mean that in a flattering way, being a displaced snob from the east coast.