The Homecoming Show

In the fall of my freshman year of high school, I auditioned to be in the band for the homecoming show. The homecoming show was a student-written, student-produced comedy show along the lines of SNL. It was the first time I had auditioned for anything. 

I walked into the audition room, dragging the high school's old plywood gut string, string bass, that I had played in Orchestra. 

The music director, a woman in her twenties (wearing a brown suede suit with fringed sleeves and back) who had recently graduated from the school, and a senior man (with a gigantic mop of curly black hair) were jamming on guitars. I distinctly remember her Martin Dreadnaught and the enormous ringing sound it made. The guy was playing lead riffs on an OM-style Guild acoustic, but not quite in the league of the music director's - probably some CSNY tune.

I wanted to check my tuning, so I very quietly tried the harmonic on my G and D strings.

When they finished, the director turned to me and said, "Hey, what you were playing there, that sounded great!" The guy nodded in stoned agreement. I got the gig.

Mapco

Some guy got shot and retired from the game Saturday morning at the Mapco, a little over a quarter of a mile from my house. 

As I drove past the Mapco coming home Saturday morning, I noticed eight or so Metro Nashville Police Department Ford Explorers arranged randomly in the parking lot. I mentioned it to my wife on Sunday when I remembered, and then tried googling for the story.

The Mapco on Neelys Bend is about three miles down from Gallatin Pike. South of the Mapco, Neelys Bend starts to transform into farmland, then into a city park at the flood-prone end. Neelys Bend Road ends at the Cumberland River. There is no crossing from here.

The section of Neelys Bend coming down from Gallatin Pike is a heavily traveled two-lane road, and more or less, the only way in or out. In large stretches, there is no shoulder. Sober, the walk up Neelys Bend to Gallatin Pike would be unpleasant.

At the Gallatin Pike intersection is a large Methodist church with a homeless shelter and various treatment and outreach programs. Once a week, a "Shower Bus" parks there.

The other side of Gallatin Pike has a Bojangles and a dying strip mall featuring a drive-through only Chase bank, a blood donation center, a Dollar General, a pawn shop, and a furniture rental store. The Fresh Market there has a surprisingly good Quesabirria. An LGBTQ+ friendly Vape store is just a few blocks down Gallatin Pike by the Kroger. 

Anyway, Saturday morning, some Mapco customers observed one individual acting disorderly and asking patrons for a ride up Neely's Bend. The police report that a disagreement occurred between the disorderly individual and a Mapco patron when gunfire broke out. The Mapco patron left the scene.

The police at the scene rendered aid to the formerly disorderly individual and transported him to a nearby hospital, where he died.

This is Tennessee. Discression and courtesy are important considerations in your public interactions.