This weekend, Nashville, TN did what it does best. It threw a party. We gathered on a damp, cloudy morning at our big outdoor amphitheater to hear the likes of Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell, Maren Morris, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Amanda Shires throw down some of their biggest hits. Kids from Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and members of March for Our Lives introduced each act. And then we marched half a mile to the polls with a New Orleans-style, second line brass band leading us the whole way there.
I was alternately teary and elated. There were no big political speeches, just good music, good people, and a celebratory atmosphere built around voting. Kids were dancing in the aisles. It was everything that doing our civic duty should be: joyful, communal, and supportive. I don't know how Tennessee (or the nation) will turn out electorally on November 6th. We've got a steep climb, but what I experienced today—and what my son got to experience—was America at its best. Whatever happens in the election, that is the soul of the country that I will continue to surround myself with. Let's turn this long slog into a party please. We'll make it a lot further that way.
Much love, Sarah
