I've written five drafts of this post and I'm still not quite sure how to approach it. It's personal and rambling and probably far too much of a downer for the standard content of this site. Despite that warning, I'm going to post it anyway because there's a catharsis to saying it and, hey, it's my site.

I have a deep love for my hometown of Nashville, despite not having lived there for several years. It's been going through a lot of growing pains lately but whenever I go back (which is fairly frequently) I'm struck by how great the people there are. So many smart and creative and interesting people continue to make the city better, despite the city planners and the architects who seem to take great strides to homogenize the town.

Nashville recently lost two staples of the creative scene and their departure weighs heavy on my heart. I'm not marginalizing any loss but these two in particular happened more publicly than usual and it makes the impact so much heavier.

Jim Ridley was the editor of The Nashville Scene, the weekly Alt that showcases so much of the creative awareness in the city. He had a sudden heart attack and did not recover. His direction at the Scene likely impacted the perception of Nashville more than anyone can ever realize. I did not know him personally but I read the paper every week and was always overjoyed when something I was doing made its way in.

Candice Burnside Ferguson was part of Battle Tapes, a recording studio founded by her husband, Jeremy Ferguson. They've fostered and recorded bands for years; a home for creatives looking to express themselves. She battled cancer for years and recently lost the fight. I had met her but wouldn't consider myself close, though I can count dozens of people I know that recorded at their studio and were a part of their extended family.

Every city is only as good as its people. This is true everywhere. No matter what weird condos go in or what beloved bowling alley is torn down and replaced by a giant hole in the ground, the people make the place. Losing these two feels like a blow to Nashville. I implore anyone that lives there to please reach out and support their families. There is a GoFundMe for Jim's family to cover hospital expenses and another one for Candice's family to cover hospital, funeral and family expenses now that she has passed.

It's strange to post such a ridiculous long diatribe about two people that I was not personally close with but I can't help but feel the impact of their departure, even from afar. My heart is heavy but I have hopes for Nashville to recover and support the families of these wonderful folk.