Musings of the Mad

It occurs to me Opryland made me live in the now. Non-Nashvillians won’t really get this, but perhaps you have a theme park or someplace you’ve always gone to forget about whatever bothers you about your past or worries you about your future.

They paved it and built a shopping mall. But it’s pretty funny. Not too long after Opry Mills Mall was built it flooded and almost everything was a total loss.

I worked in that mall for a brief period. Selling timeshare presentations for mall gift cards believe it or not. I HATED that job. Who needs a timeshare? I didn’t have one. I was selling something I didn’t believe in. Stopped doing that.

There were these great swings you buckled yourself into over by where the Wabash Cannonball was. That was the first coaster that went upside down. It was an addition to the park. The Tennessee Waltz they called them. You soared. However long you were on that ride you were flying. It was glorious. The most simple ride and probably my favorite.

I am thinking of the people in my life I waved to from that wonderful ride and I’m sobbing suddenly. I think of the people who rode it with me. 

You know, Opryland is gone, but the Opry House is still there. I’ve got lots of memories there too including graduating High School.

I saw the Smashing Pumpkins do an acoustic show there when Jimmy Chamberlin was M.I.A. from the band.

Great show. Bullet With Butterfly Wings was epic. I’ll try to find it. My ex-wife showed up to that show. We were on a BREAK. 

Billy put his cowboy hat right on the original piece of the old Ryman Stage. I walked across it and got my diploma. A piece of paper that represented everything I would have to unlearn.