September 16, 2023, Crossville, TN- The flinty-eyed man seemed to regard me warily, as I walked into the front room, where he and two other folks were socializing, with the homeowner, over beer. After our host introduced me to the three neighbours, the wariness went away, and I was asked if I would consider moving here.

Crossville, and the immediate area around this house, are certainly salubrious enough, and the people are downright friendly, after about ten minutes of sizing up a newcomer. I am happy with my present Home Base, but it surely is fun to visit here.

The flinty-eyed man asked me about Arizona. He wanted to know if Mexicans dominated the state. I answered in the negative, saying that while there was a sizable number of people of Mexican heritage there, that they were not in the least a dominating, domineering or unpleasant, in any respect. I told the group that I found Mexicans to be a hard-working people, which is true in Arizona, and from what I’ve seen, true in the Southeast as well. The restaurant where I had breakfast this morning, in Marion, VA is called Sur 81 (south on I-81). It is owned and operated by a wonderful Mexican family, and drew a large crowd while I was there. The food was sumptuous and the server, a gracious young lady. Basically, I see no difference between them and the Appalachian Whites who work the Bucc-ee’s, down the road from here. All are working hard and are merely providing for their families, as most people everywhere are doing.

The subject changed, from the politics of immigration, and of the next election,once I simply repeated that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and of course, vote accordingly. It seems to me that the most conservative person, and the most progressive, want above all to just be heard. It is when someone feels shut out, that the shrillness kicks in. The rest of their visit focused on the local high school football team, the way that the marching band’s sound carries, over the woods and to this bucolic neighbourhood, and the skill sets that help people make ends meet around here. Our host, Chuck, is a retired firefighter, so his life is pretty much cut and dried-he can either volunteer somewhere, or just hang out, and no one is of a mind to be critical.

Those who are depressed by a rainy day, such as today, might have taken the short gathering in the room as an invitation to sow division. My company, being more optimistic, and basically seeing “no problems, only solutions”, to quote John Lennon, takes a rainy day as a sign of blessings. So long as one is in a safe, dry place, the rain only enhances life. I had no issues with bringing my bags from the car to my room, in the pouring rain. God knows, there are way too many people who have no car-and no room.

I will leave here tomorrow, but Chuck’s encouragement of his neighbours, his wife, Laureen’s food truck, the flinty-eyed man’s auto repair shop-and the Bucc-ee’s down the road, will with any luck, long continue.