I had a long day, yesterday, defending a deposition at a law firm downtown. Nashville, that is, not Franklin. It's interesting because I don't go downtown often anymore unless it's to Court at the Metro Nashville Courthouse. On those occasions, I park in the garage, walk into the Courthouse, and leave immediately after I'm finished. It's rare that I walk around downtown and that's what I did yesterday, at lunch and in the evening after my deposition was over.
When we broke for lunch, I wanted a good cup of coffee. I also wanted to get out of the Pinnacle Building and take a walk, so that's what I did. I couldn't find coffee nearby so I ended up walking several blocks over to Fourth Avenue, past the high rise building in which I worked at Manier, Herod in the very beginning of my legal career a lifetime ago, and up to Drug Store Coffee Shop in the Noelle Hotel.
When I was working at Manier, Herod in the mid-1990's, downtown Nashville was quite a bit different than it is now, even at lunchtime. In fact, the Noelle Hotel was an office building that if memory serves, housed my friend Carl P. Spining's law firm, Ortale, Kelley. Now and for the past several years, it's been a hipster tourist hotel, redneck chic and likely very expensive. It wasn't always that way.
It actually felt like winter as I walked back to the Pinnacle Building, cold and windy. Still, it was nice to get outside and take a walk. Nicer still to walk back with a hot cup of coffee.
I had hoped the deposition would end in time for me to attend Joe's first basketball game at MBA but that was not to be. I already knew I would have to miss his band concert late in the evening because I had tickets to see Garrison Keillor and Prairie Home Companion at the Ryman Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. I had bought the tickets several months ago as an early Christmas present from me to Jude to me and I didn't want to miss the show. At 83, I'm not sure how many more opportunities I will have to see Garrison Keillor live. Joe understood and was cool with it, although I did hate to miss his saxophone solo.
Since the deposition ran late and I already had validated parking in the Pinnacle Garage - a rare commodity indeed - I decided to stay downtown, eat dinner, and walk over to the show. I put on my overcoat and walked a block or two over to The Southern, a newer restaurant where I had eaten once or twice in the past.
Perhaps because I was the only man wearing a coat and tie and I looked semi-important, I was able to talk my way into sitting at a 4-top table, as opposed to the bar, which was my preference if I was going to have a nice meal. I told my server, Finn, my goal was to be his best table of the night. Furthermore, if he took care of me, I would take care of him. He did and I did.
As I sat at my table, sipping an excellent Cabernet (Duckhorn), I relaxed, took in the scene before me, and enjoyed a bit of solitude. I have no problem eating out alone or going to a concert or show alone. In fact, I kind of enjoy it. It's nice not to have to talk to anyone but, still, to be able to observe the hustle and bustle all around me. To my delight, my filet was perfect, and the rare second glass of wine was even better.
As I finished my meal and made sure to take good care of Finn, I bumped into my old friend, contentment, who I seemed to be seeing more of lately. For a few minutes, anyway, all was right in my world. I marveled at the changes in downtown Nashville as I walked to the Ryman, on schedule to arrive early for Prairie Home Companion. It was damn near a perfect night.
Perfect, that is, until the tickets on my cell phone wouldn't scan and I was redirected to the box office. T'here, after I slid my phone in for him to look at it, the Ryman ticket man looked at me through the plexiglass, smiled widely, and told me Prairie Home Companion was next Monday, not tonight.
What the hell, I said, then burst out laughing. December 15 was Prairie Home Companion, not December 8. What a dumbass, I thought. Walking away, I couldn't stop laughing.
Life is beautiful. Life is funny. Life is, well, life, and I am damn luckily to be living it.
I walked through downtown Nashville, slowly, taking in the sights and the night life on a cold December Monday night, chuckling to myself. Happy and content.
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