All Roads Lead to Clarksdale!

I’m back!

It’s a really long commute between my home in country Victoria and my city life in Clarksdale, but it’s definitely worth the hassle of international travel!

As soon as my hubby and I arrive in this historic downtown blues precinct (where we live), we feel like we are on a movie set. The city scenes are surreal , to me.  The contrast between the decrepit and the dynamic in downtown Clarksdale is amazing. Decrepit is a harsh term, I know. But, honestly, that’s what I see very near me, when I wander around downtown. Often, I walk on broken glass that has fallen from disintegrating windows in the neighboring building. It makes my heart ache to think I can’t do anything to stop some things.

I try not to dwell on what I cannot change. Even when I notice the worst, I try to look for a positive change or beauty in the movie-like scenes, when I return to Clarksdale. I like to imagine the scenes could be cleaned-up for safety reasons, and then reinvented as real movie scenes for entertainment. People need safety AND entertainment!

I see that there is a whole lot of beauty in Clarksdale, though. I see wonderful changes that directly improve my mental attitude, as well as the view from my apartment window. There are new street signs, beautifully painted windows in revitalized retail shops, lovely new sidewalks with accessible ramps; old, new, and growing businesses are thriving, and people with positive energy are thrilling the community by their good works. I see circles/cliques changing, overlapping, combining, enjoying differences. Those are exciting changes! Good on ya, Clarksdale!

I’m always thankful when businesses I like (like Skimke’s BBQ) are still in business, when I return to Clarksdale.

There’s live blues music every night of the year in Clarksdale! I’m ALWAYS thankful for more music in my life! Besides the fact that it’s so close to my Memphis family, that’s the thing I like best about returning to my home in Clarksdale.

I love the city life that allows for walking to downtown music venues, radio shows, and restaurants. Last night I enjoyed going next door to the live taping for future airing on XRDS.fm radio with Charlie Musselwhite, The Dave Luning Band, Gary Vincent, Meghan Maike, Red Paden, Roger Stolle, and Robert Birdsong at The Clarksdale Sound Stage – just around the corner from The Holy Moly! WOW! Talk about entertainment! What an experience! It was fantastic!

AND, the food in Clarksdale is amazing! Sometimes even breakfast service (Shack Up Inn and Bluesberry Cafe) comes with music! I love it! There’s a local saying: “Clarksdale, it nice!” But if you don’t mind me saying so, Clarksdale is cool and it’s getting cooler all the time! I’m happy to be back!