Being in Tennessee has been a bit of culture shock for me. People in the southwest really do speak funny. The southern drawl is extreme. “How ya doon, Y’awl?” Where y’awl from?” are common phrases. Sometimes the accents are so exaggerated, I think they might be kidding me. “Yo wanna he som music?” “Godda be caful out there in the street.”
Our travels are always enhanced with the chance to meet new people. We welcome opportunities to spend time with others. We seek out old friends as we travel and remain open to meet new ones. Differences are noticeable and irrelevant when you love the ones you meet.
In Nashville we connected with an old friend of Paul’s whom he hadn’t seen since high school. Alan is in the music business. His company, The Bigger Picture Group, finds and promotes ‘up and coming’ musicians. They produce The Zac Brown Band, one of my favourites. We made plans to get together.
Our first meeting was for brunch. We met at a funky little restaurant…one of those decadent ‘all you can eat’ places. In my attempts to avoid wheat and dairy, I filled up with meat and salad. Though Tennessee is known for its’ ‘barbeque’ I’m not sure if I’ll ever get used to the amounts of meat offered.
Friends of Alan and Kathy joined us for brunch, and afterwards we all went to Lisa and Peter’s for afternoon drinks. We had a chance to get to know them there. I had an even better chance the next day. Jana invited me to her ranch to ride horses. Paul was busy for the day and I thought that would be such a fantastic way to spend the day. We rode and talked and laughed and shared our stories. We got to know each other quickly, and deeply. We talked abou...family, money, food, philosophy, and God!
Jana, in her gentle southern drawl says “Heaven is rat heya in my backyad! Life is a big pahty if y’all allow it. People make heyl for themsalves. But heyl ain’t snakes and worms. That’s what some people thank. Rally though, it’s what you make for yaself.”
“Yes”, I think. Thank you Jana. An important reminder!
At the end of the ride Jana and I go back to her house for a drink. Jim is there and proudly shows me around. Lining the walls of the foyer are large sized portraits displaying several of his family members from generations back. “That would be my ol’ great great uncle Roy.” Says Jim as he gently touches my elbow to guide me to the next room.
The dark oak wood walls provide protection from the outside elements and also represent the homeowners. An original Louis Vitton chest sits on the wooden floor and Jim and Kathy proudly identify an early signature of the designer. “This heya box must be worth a small fortune.” Says Jim. “We never even realized.”
Carefully folded handmade quilts are stacked in a glass encased cabinet displaying the handicraft of Kathy’s grandmother. The house is warm and alive with home made jams and canned pickles that come right from their annual gardens.
The windows lead seamlessly to the outside. I notice the peacefulness. The field we have just been riding through is now familiar. I picture me and my horse and my new friend riding side by side. We are just chillin, riding our horses and spending our day together. I feel lucky to be here.
We are different, no doubt. And we have become new friends quickly, because, actually we seek the same. Accents aside, different approaches to daily living, and diverse political ideas mean so little when we get right down to the things in our lives that really matter. What a welcome to new friendships in my life!
“Life sho is good, padna!”
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