remember where you come from
So last night I was at Sambuca, hanging with friends and listening to Eric Heatherly play on stage. I’ll admit right now I didn’t really want to go. I was tired and I wanted to get in bed at a decent hour, and every time we go to Sambuca we end up leaving much later than we intended. But I went because this was the last night Eric would be playing at Sambuca for the summer.
My resolve to leave early was strong though, and as soon as Eric was done with his first set, I got up to leave and started making the rounds of good-byes. I finally came to Eric to wish him well on the road this week. He and his band leave on a three week tour soon, and I knew he was really pumped.
Me: Good luck on the tour!
E: Thanks! I can’t wait to get OUT of Nashville!
Me: Yah, I think I know what you mean. But it’s good to be from Nashville…
E: Yah, it’s a great place to live, but it’s cancer when you’re working here (in the music industry, that is).
Me: I get it…when you’re a performer, you HAVE to go on tour. You have to get out of the local scene and get your music out there.
E: Are you from Nashville?
Me: No. I was born in California, and then we lived in Texas, Virginia, and Florida. This is the first place I’ve ever chosen to live.
E: Really?! So you had to live in all those other places…
Me: Yup. Eric, have a great tour. But just remember: it’s good to be from Nashville.
June 28th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
[...] Emily has a post at About Nashville about, well, Nashville. She talks about a guy that’s ready to get out of here, and how it’s good to remember where you came from. I’m originally from Indianapolis, but if people ask me where I’m from*, I tell them I’m from Nashville. I’ve lived here since I was 16 years old, so basically, this is where I’m from. [...]
June 28th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Almost everyone I know who has moved away has eventually come to realize everything they took for granted about this city.
June 28th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
I’ve only lived here 10 years and I’ve been saying I’m from Nashville for at least 5 years! Nashville is home now and I love living here. This city has a lot to offer and lots of nice people to be friends with. And of course, it’s home to my favorite siser.
June 28th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
Well, in order to a.) be employed (at least gainfully), and b.) take my life in the direction I feel it needs to go right now, I’m having to leave this crazy beautiful place. I feel like I just got here, but at the same time, I feel like it’s been a true home for years. What’s amazing to me is how quickly you can become a Nashvillian, and how broad and diverse the definitions of that word are. I hope I get to move back and live here longer someday, but I feel like I’ll always be part Nashvillian regardless.
July 5th, 2007 at 8:05 am
I’ve lived here about four years now and the only thing that would make it more perfect for me would be to move Neyland Stadium to town. If I could go to UT games as easily here as I did in Knoxville, it would be nirvana.
Sorry Vandy fans, but having Vandy football in our city doesn’t count becuase that can barely be seen as a football team….