Vendor Spotlight

With a roof of his own overhead, James Lindsey can take a breath of relief

BY JUSTIN WAGNER

“Every morning I get up, I have my coffee, I have a table and a couple chairs out on the deck looking out over the park, over the skyline,” said James Lindsey, reflecting on the view from his new apartment.

It’s the first Nashville apartment Lindsey’s had in his own name. Despite towering over the city on the ninth floor of his building, he was able to put aside his fear of heights to soak in the view. He said it was a blessing to hit such a milestone.

“It’s one of the highlights of my life… It’s like paradise.”

This marks a brief repose in a decades-long journey for Lindsey, who’s been an on-and-off vendor with The Contributor for nearly as long as it’s been around.

But years ago, Lindsey was far from paradise.

Spending every night homeless on Music Row was a constant battle to survive — and his struggles with alcohol use made a bad situation worse. James described the experience as feeling “dead.”

He explained that it can be strenuous to keep vices at arm’s length when your circumstances involve countless hours outside — and the challenge in staying safe is compounded without the luxury to avoid stressors. Years of military service and years on the street taught Lindsey skills he needed to survive, but that didn’t mean he was spared any woe.

“If your heart ain’t in the right place, if your mind ain’t in the right place, it’s a struggle out there,” he said. “We get trapped in that cycle, it’s cyclical selfabuse… I gave up on a few places, I just lost faith. I lost my way, actually.”

But while he still has wounds to dress, Lindsey said he’s been making good progress finding his “way back.” After starting medication, working on recovery and reconnecting with his faith, he’s found a bit of peace again.

“I am trying to retrain myself and my mindset. That’s the struggle I have, it’s my own struggle… I’ve been trying to find my way out of this for a long time. I’ve started listening and paying attention.”

Lindsey said the community he’s found at The Contributor is like having “angels,” and noted that finding such a community helped him feel authentic on his road to healing.

“I’ve seen some evil, evil people. And when you’ve been out on the streets as long as I have, you can always tell whether someone is good or bad. Everytime I walk in here I take a deep breath. It’s a breath of relief… I mean for me, personally, it’s salvation.”

And while he conceded that he’s come as far as he has through years of effort, he insisted that he doesn’t like praise. Moreover, he owes it all to the positivity and kindness he’s been shown by others — and that he tries to pay it forward to others wherever he can.

“I haven’t given up hope yet. Because [The Contributor] didn’t give up on me.”