I love Nashville

At 5:30 yesterday afternoon, I left my office and walked across the street to the mail drop box. There was a man on the street corner clapping his hands and singing at the top of his lungs. I couldn't help but smile. I don't remember the song he was singing, but as soon as I crossed the street and came right up to him, he started singing an old hymn. He had the biggest smile on his face.

The man was dressed nicely. He didn't appear to be homeless. But his name badge had something like "Homeless Outreach" on it. I wasn't close enough to read his name. I dropped off my mail and kept walking. As I crossed the street again, I started to notice other people's reactions. Some were obviously annoyed. Some smiled like I did. Others laughed at him. I overheard a man say, "Oh, my buddy's still here."

The normal sounds of downtown quickly drowned the voice of the sweet man. As I got in my car, I couldn't help but drive by the corner where he was singing just to make sure he was still there. Traffic on Broadway was slow at that time of night. It was warm outside, but I decided to roll down my windows and listen to the sounds of my beloved city. There was a Predators game, so people were every where. I watched on as tourists stepped into the road to take pictures of the "Batman" building. As I passed all of the restaurants, bars, and honky tonks, I could hear each house band warming up their crowds. Part of me thought about finding a parking spot and joining the party.

I saw about 10 guys standing on the sidewalk or sitting on doorsteps playing their guitars. It seems like they all want to be discovered. Or maybe they just want someone to listen. Could it be that they just love to play and they would do it if no one was there at all? Regardless of the reason, it wouldn't be Music City without them!

Nashville is a beautiful place!