Vendor Writing

Hey Ridley!

By Jen A.

I’ve wanted to write for some time to tell you how much I genuinely appreciate the articles you place in The Contributor. But after reading your piece in the last issue, I decided I shouldn’t wait any longer. Over the past year we’ve all had a chance to reflect and look critically at our lives. You write masterfully about a decision you made long ago that changed the trajectory of your life and the lives of your family. But quite honestly, I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit.

I wasn’t born in Nashville. I wandered into town broken and desperate about ten years ago. And while I wouldn’t exactly say I’ve thrived, thanks in large measure to your illuminating histories of the people, places, and events that made Nashville your family’s home; I’ve found my home. It’s always refreshing to read the true history of a place delivered without pretense. Few writers can reach past the hype to the truth as you do so elegantly.

Everyone has to make tough choices in life. Probably no one knows that better than Contributor vendors. Every one of us has come to a place where we’re pretty much out of options. And when we got to that dark, frightening place, there was your son, Tom, eager and willing to take us by the hand. He gives us purpose and a way up from the very bottom of the ladder. He’s both saved and changed lives in his own special creative way. Do you think the son of a driven-to-succeed, money-grubbing, profit-at-any-cost insurance executive would have done that? I wonder.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, I think you’ve done alright for yourself and your family, Ridley. Your work is a great credit to the place you and generations of your family before you have called home. You’ve made me know and understand how Nashville came to be the quirky, wonderful town it is. I’m grateful to call the Nashville of Ridley Wills II and his family my home.

What a Day

BY JOHN H.

It’s Thursday, April 21 at 7 a.m. What a beautiful day. Gotta go across town to take a shower, come back to this side to do a few things before I can get my day started. All these things sound familiar to me. I’m used to them. Many of us are not accustomed to such things because we never had to live it.

What about that person who has a home, never had any worries what-so-ever in life. I guess the bad part of it is, walking by seeing the activity of a person’s life every day and never wondered or tried to do anything to help. In God’s word it was the example of a rich man who watched a poor man, and never tried to do anything to help. In the end the poor man went to heaven and the rich man went to hell.

Many of you here in Nashville are very wealthy, not saying you don’t see these things every day, but there is a way you can help. Donate to The Contributor. They helped me and many others find a place to live. But the thing of it is, they need more finance and more resources. I think it’s a good thing. People who have hearts to care about the poor and less fortuned. Gotta have one hell-of-a-heart to go out and be this type person, (for free) because they certainly don’t get paid.

What a brief relief, a home and insurance in case of I get ill. So if you can find it in your heart to have a love for the poor, please donate to The Contributor.

Go online at thecontributor.org

Thankful to be alive

BY JAMIE W.

About one month ago I was telling my husband that my chest was hurting, but at the time I was not thinking about a heart attack. I thought it was anxiety or stress or something and then I started getting very dizzy and I felt like I was fixing to fall out. I was hoping I was not fixing to fall out on someone’s car.

But anyway, when I got done selling papers I walked up there to the emergency room. They did an EKG that came back OK. They did an x-ray of my heart and they said I had to stay in the hospital. I felt bad because I did not leave any money with my husband, and I told him to get your brother to bring you up there and I would give him bus fare, whatever.

They did my procedure about 11 a.m., but thank God I did not have any blockages and I did not need a stint. I’m thankful to be alive. But sure enough, it was a mild heart attack and they went on my right wrist. They said it was MINOCA, Myocardial Infarction in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease.

Anyone with heart trouble, you better have it seen about.

How Has This COVID-19 Epidemic Affected Me?

BY MAURICE B.

Within looking and accepting the many episodes within my 50 years of living, I diligently examine many of them by placing them on the scales of life’s challenges and changes. I was once informed to tie a knot at the end of my rope and hold on because “God” is never through. I am allowed to still take that peace of admiral advice deeply to mind and heart, even though many of life’s ventures while holding on have become a terrible task.

Being taught through the firm beliefs of logic and facts whereas the mathematical equations are basically either add or subtract, I observe that the episodes that occur in this earthly life only come from the Insan “mankind’s” rational thought processes.

Our forefathers and their forefathers relied upon rational and logical patches of paths to make it through the teachings of man made viruses — such as the longest one ever: racial tension — which come in all forms and fashions of one believing that they are better than the next.

In 2016, I, Maurice B., aka The Bucketman, had been instituted within a better way of living even though the environmental move from Texas to Nashville, Tennessee. But I had the “homeless virus.” Another epidemic. The God of my understanding rose me up out of that situation two years later by providing me with the blessings of salesmanship where I am a legalized street- vendor of the Contributor paper off 46th Avenue & Charlotte Pike, where God has also blessed me with an enormous amount of people that I can call on like family as well as business associates within the two communities of Richland & Sullivan Parks.

The mathematical equations of showing up and allowing the God spirit of smiling and waving to assure that it’s ok “regardless” of the circumstances and/or situations that we occur through life’s many miraculous ventures if the free gift that comes daily. Being homeless at one time showed me many many things, but understanding that I do have the option of choices of those many things allows me today to decide what choices I see are fit to move forward.

For instance, the racial profiling of the homeless from a certain type of people, which could shut down the opportunities that I have received that bettered and is bettering my living. I can’t hate it because God doesn’t want us to hate, but I can bring about the power of prayer. We humans plan, but God is the best of planners, and just as He is the Alpha “The Beginning;” He is “The Eternal” whereas all shall answer to Him but we Insan “mankind” are equipped with having an Omega “an ending.” Inshallah, “may it be God’s will,” that The Contributor last through all this man-made virus by individuals coming together and supporting The Contributor & vendors in all areas of Nashville as individuals have during my duration in which through the many viruses God has allowed me to see it through.

May we overcome this episode of an Epidemic as God has allowed us all to overcome the many many ones before and possibly to come. Just a suggestion to all: Tie a knot in the end of your rope cause God is never through. Also, know His winds are mighty and the rains are strong, but after the rains come the sun and then the beautiful rainbow. Just examine the power of our Almighty mighty God. He is the creator of everything good, and we Insan “mankind” believe that we can only make all things better.

To make things better for the homeless in Nashville I suggest the way I have done things by becoming a legalized street-vendor. Be consistent in showing up to make sales and utilize The Contributor office resources for matters such as housing, foods, and clothing. They are connected and network with the resources needed to assist homeless individuals.