Being from the Birmingham, Alabama area, I’ve spent some time in Nashville, but not as much time as I’ve spent in places like Atlanta, New Orleans, and the northern gulf coast. I like Nashville; hey what’s not to like? It’s home to America’s music, country music, that originated in the USA, not off in Europe somewhere.
This past weekend I traveled to Nashville to attend the Jimmy Buffett concert, that took place on May 1 in the Bridgestone Arena in the heart of downtown Nashville. From the weather reports on the Internet, I knew that it was going to be raining, with some thunder and wind; and that was perfectly okay since the concert would be indoors.
After arriving in the Music City late Friday afternoon, we walked to dinner at one of Nashville’s classic restaurants, and then walked to the Broadway area where many clubs are located. It was a beautiful evening with a nice breeze blowing. While the weather Friday night was a perfect, my friends and I knew what was coming and we hoped it would be just some rain, which is not going to hurt anybody.
It was between 1:00 and 2:00 am when I returned to the hotel and went to bed. When I awoke about seven or eight hours later, it was raining and raining hard with some thunder and lightning moving through the area. Through the weather channel, I determined that we were under a tornado watch, which really doesn’t scare me much because I grew up with it. Early afternoon, our group ended up at the Big River Grill on Broadway, close to the Cumberland River. Our table was on the covered patio, built so that rain could not get in. So, we watch the downpours come and go, with the occasional tornado siren in the mix.
About 2-1/2 hours before the concert, we gathered in the hotel room of a couple that was in our group. Martha and John were hosting a pre-concert party. Because their hotel was next door to the Bridgestone arena, all we had to do was walk next door. Cool! The concert was great and I had straight-on view of a certain Coral Reefer band member on whom I have a “celebrity” crush. About the only thing that gets better than that is a big Alabama victory.
After the concert, when we were making our way back to John and Martha’s hotel room, a policeman that was directing traffic indicated that we had all better get indoors soon because the bottom was getting ready to fall out. Well, at exactly the time I walked through the door into the hotel, the bottom did fall out, and did it ever? The wind was blowing like a “you know what” and the rain was going horizontal. I though that we just might be in a tornado, but it was heavy wind and rain. Thank goodness every one in our group arrived at the hotel safe and sound. After a post-concert party, those of us staying in other hotels made our way back. The bad storm was over and there was moderate rain in the area.
The next morning, we checked out of the hotel shortly before noon and made it back to Birmingham just fine, traveling through some hard rains. Before we left, we knew there was major flooding in the area and I was glad to see Nashville in my rearview mirror. Little did I know that the rain would continue and the waters would continue to rise and devastate the great city of Nashville, Tennessee and surrounding areas. We’ve all seen the pictures and we all know the story.
“And ya know what?” The current president hasn’t even mentioned the devastation in Nashville and other areas of Tennessee and Kentucky. This is unfathomable. The current president certainly has time to comment on the immigration law passed in Arizona without bothering to get his facts straight. The state of Tennessee didn’t vote for the current president and I it’s my opinion that this could have been a factor in him ignoring the city of Nashville and it’s people. As I mentioned earlier, Nashville is home to America’s music, country music, composed for and about the working man and woman in the United States of America. Furthermore, a lot of the country music singers, songwriters, and musicians are conservative, along with the rest of the citizens of the state of Tennessee. So, are the people who have been affected by this tragedy not worth the current president’s time? Could be.
One thing I’m sure of, the good people of Nashville and the other affected areas in Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, etc. are drying out and rebuilding their lives without the moral support of the current president. I have yet to see anyone yelling, “where’s our government help.” In fact, most probably would prefer that he stay the “you know what” away.
I cried when the Alabama gulf coast was devastated by Hurricane Ivan, and I cried when I saw New Orleans flood in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. And once again I’m crying at what is happening in Nashville. My neighbors three hours north of me are in peril. Also, my neighbors on the northern gulf coast are awaiting their fate as the oil creeps nearer to other places that we all love. Yes, I’m sandwiched in between disasters.
Bottom line, the current president, along with others that lead this nation, do not care about any of us here in the southern United States. We’re just drivel to them, as we hang on to our guns and our bibles. Again, the people of Nashville and the other areas affected by the May 1 weekend storms will rebuild their lives, and the people of the northern gulf coast will do the same with or without the support of the current president and other leaders.
Alright, I just have to throw this in. If something akin to the Nashville flood had happened in someplace such as Berkley or Palo Alto when George Bush was president and he chose not to comment, we all know what would have happened.
The above reflects my personal opinion only and represents pure speculation on my part, gleaned from my observations of the behavior and attitudes of certain leaders of this nation. As of this writing, there is no evidence that my speculations are fact.
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