Memphis

I arrived in Memphis last night around 10:30 and checked into a Comfort Inn then went to Fox and Hound for a very late dinner and drinks. I met a very nice couple in their thirties and we chatted for hours. At the end of the night they told me that they were swingers....epic fail. Needless to say I went back to the hotel alone. Today was awesome and I had some wonderful interactions and I experienced acts of kindness from complete strangers. First on the agenda was Graceland. Honestly I'm not a huge Elvis fan but I enjoyed the tour of the mansion, plane and exhibits. I met a very sweet elderly man who is a tour guide at Graceland and we had a lovely conversation. He referred to me as "Chicago" for the rest of my time there and told me to behave in New Orleans and to be careful.

Next was a visit to Alcenia's on Main St. http://alcenias.com/ for a late lunch. I saw a profile of the restaurant on Food Network some time ago and I had to stop in for authentic soul food. The owner, BJ really does give every customer a hug when you walk in and she thanks you for coming. I was the only customer and the restaurant is very cozy and wonderfully decorated, I felt like I was sitting in her kitchen and I LOVED it! I literally had the best fried chicken, corn bread, mac n' cheese and green beans in my life! As I sat and ate, a woman came in and sat down at the table across from me, talking on her cell phone. She is an attorney, very outgoing and a friend of the owner. An older couple came in and sat at the other table near us and we started talking. The woman asked me where I'm from, why I'm in Memphis, etc and I told her my story. She told me about her children, her eldest is my age and she was very encouraging and kind to me. We had a lovely conversation and she said that she wanted to buy my lunch. I told her that wasn't necessary and she said, "Are you too old to accept blessings?" I said no ma'am, thank you very much. After I finished eating I said goodbye and the woman told me to wait one minute. She came over to me and gave me money. I told her I couldn't accept it and she said she is so blessed and she wanted to buy me a tank of gas to help me on my journey. That act of sincere kindness brought tears to my eyes. I hugged her and I thanked her. She wished me luck and I left to find Beale St.

One the way I stopped for gas and there was an old, mostly toothless homeless man standing by the gas station door. I walked passed and smiled at him and he asked me if I had any food. I was taken aback because I'm usually asked for cash, not actual food. He then said, "I'm sorry, I haven't eaten today." I told him to wait for me and I went inside. There was a subway inside and I bought him a foot long sub, some water and Gatorade. I came out and gave him the food, he looked down at the ground then up at me and said "Thank you, God bless you." I told him that I was just paying it forward and to take care. So I guess my lesson today was to accept acts of kindness and repay them in turn to someone else who deserves it.

I made my way to Beale St. and walked up and down the street, looking at the shops and then decided to go to BB King's Blues Club for a drink and some more food. After all I was in Memphis and it was production critical that I sample the cuisine as much as possible, LOL. The club has a great atmosphere and everyone was so friendly. In fact, most people in Memphis were very friendly and smiled a lot, very refreshing! I sat at the bar and a couple from New Hampshire next to me starting talking to me. After the previous night's experience I was a bit leery but they did not proposition me so we chatted for a couple hours. They have been married for 21 years, they travel, have common interests and are best friends and still very much in love. Again, an example of what a marriage can be and I believe should be. They were very encouraging and told me about their experiences and made a fantastic suggestion for a career move for me.....working for the USO coordinating shows/performances. I can totally do that and it would be giving back and still using my talents. We listened to a kid, literally he was 16 or 17, play guitar and sing the blues and he was fantastic.  I had to get on the road to New Orleans so I said goodbye and made my way south.

I arrived in New Orleans after midnight and am going to crash....tomorrow exploring the Big Easy!!!