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Volu m e 1 5
| Number 20 | September 29 - October 13, 2021
2021 Hispanic Heritage Month Poster by Ms. Adriana Castillo, Human Rights Activist and Child Developmental Specialist. COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF HISPANIC EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM MANAGERS
IN THE ISSUE 4
12
7
Contributor Board
Tom Wills, Chair Cathy Jennings, Bruce Doeg, Demetria Kalodimos, Ann Bourland, Kerry Graham, Peter Macdonald, Amber DuVentre, Jerome Moore, Annette McDermott,Drew Morris
17
Vendor Spotlight
Like A Prayer
Nonprofit Spotlight
Vendor Writing
"Everytime I watch TV I look at Eric. Everytime I sit on that couch I think of Simone, which will keep their memory alive..."
Larissa Romero is the first female head pastor of Downtown Presbyterian Church, home of The Contributor.
"It’s like a family, artistic brothers and sisters. The pandemic really put a damper on it, it’s like someone broke up our family."
In this issue, politicians, customers, God and making teaching the angels to play spoons in heaven.
Contributors This Issue
Hannah Herner • Linda Bailey • Amanda Haggard • Yuri Cunza • Loraine Segovia Paz • Mario Ramos • Adriana Castillo • David Piñeros • Ridley Wills II • Justin Wagner • Mr. Mysterio • Jen A. • Norma B. • John H. • William B. Contributor Volunteers Joe First • Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • John Jennings • Janet Kerwood • Logan Ebel • Christine Doeg • Laura Birdsall • Richard Aberdeen • Marissa Young • Ezra LaFleur • Rachel Stanley
Cathy Jennings Executive Director Tom Wills Director of Vendor Operations Hannah Herner Staff Writer Carli Tharp Social Services Intake Specialist
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
Dymin R Cannon Section 8 and E&T Specialist Ree Cheers SOAR Manager Rachel Ternes Housing Navigator Catherine Hardy Housing Navigator Jesse Call Operations Consultant Raven Nye Director of Housing Initiatives Barbara Womack Advertising Manager Amanda Haggard & Linda Bailey Co-Editors Andrew Krinks Editor Emeritus
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Will Connelly, Tasha F. Lemley, Steven Samra, and Tom Wills Contributor Co-Founders Editorials and features in The Contributor are the perspectives of the authors. Submissions of news, opinion, fiction, art and poetry are welcomed. The Contributor reserves the right to edit any submissions. The Contributor cannot and will not endorse any political candidate. Submissions may be emailed to: editorial@thecontributor.org Requests to volunteer, donate, or purchase subscriptions can be emailed to: info@thecontributor.org Please email advertising requests to: advertising@thecontributor.org
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PAGE 2 | September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
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September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 3
VENDOR SPOTLIGHT: ANTHONY
PHOTO BY HANNAH HERNER
Anthony says living in his new home is bittersweet BY HANNAH HERNER It’s hard for Contributor vendor Anthony to get back out to his corner at 21st Avenue South and West End Avenue. It’s the corner he shared with his good friend Eric, a fellow vendor who died on Aug. 16. “It’s hard to deal with because he’s not up there. A bus comes around the corner and I expect him to be sitting there,” he says. “We hung out on that corner for years. Everybody up there knows us.” Just two days after Eric passed, Anthony moved into his own apartment, in the same building where Eric lived. And the same weekend he lost Eric, Anthony lost another friend, Simone, who also lived in that building. He’s grief-stricken at a time of hopeful transition. Anthony has lived on the streets for the last four years, and says he’s been homeless on and off for the last 20, suffering multiple evictions. He has been a vendor for most of the Contributor’s existence, as only the 48th person to sign up. (We’re at over 3,000 now.) Without any government benefits, he’s using his income from selling the paper
to pay his rent, and for necessities for his apartment. Thankfully, the rent is on a sliding scale based on his income there. “It’s a big help. If it wasn’t for [The Contributor] I’d be making no money,” he says. Anthony grew up here in Nashville, an alum of McGavock High School. He got into martial arts to be able to defend himself, though he never took any belt classes. It was to protect him from getting his lunch money stolen. Now 60 years old, Anthony describes his younger self as a “hippie” in that he wore bell bottoms, had hair down to his waist, and listened to bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. “Everybody was hippies. Everybody had long hair, smoking weed, drinking, free love — cruising around Shoney's like you see in ‘Happy Days.’ I was 12 years old doing that,” he remembers. These days he listens to calming meditation music, like ocean waves and outdoor soundscapes, complete with birds chirping. He spent 15 years in Los Angeles and misses the ocean.
Anthony also spent time in the Tennessee National Guard, an experience he describes as a nightmare. He joined because he thought he’d get drafted, so he was told if he went in, he could choose what he wanted to specialize in. He ended up choosing to work in electronics — knowledge that quickly became outdated from the ’80s until now. Post-military, he worked in a warehouse, driving a forklift. He’d like to get back into it, but barriers of COPD, degenerative disks and a hand injury stand in the way. When he talked to The Contributor, he had been in his new place for three weeks. He spends a lot of time reading — Jack Reacher is his favorite. And now he’s watching a lot of TV. He already overcame his fear of heights by being on the 9th floor, and spends a lot of time on his balcony, too. It’s certainly better than being on the streets, he says, but it’s going to take more than a couple of months to adjust. “I didn't get much sleep last night
PAGE 4 | September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
because on the boulevards I slept with one eye open,” Anthony says. “I've had people try to steal my tennis shoes over my head, walk up on me in the middle of the night, and all that good stuff. I sit up there and the slightest little noise I hear, I’m up. The other night, I thought I heard someone coming through the balcony. I'm still trying to get used to it.” He says his goal is to stay in this housing for at least five years. He’s appreciative of his new place, but the sadness from losing friends is still very close to the surface. “I’m still having a hard time because I’m sitting on her couch, sleeping on her bed, watching her TV,” he says. “Everytime I watch TV I look at Eric. Everytime I sit on that couch I think of Simone, which will keep their memory alive that way, but it’s still hard.” He has to get back to work on his corner selling The Contributor, and wants to. But he’s trying to take care of himself and his grief. If he can’t do it surrounded by his friends, the next best thing must be to heal surrounded by their belongings.
NEWS
CHART FROM CENSUS.GOV
NASHVILLE SHOWS RECORD GROWTH IN 2020 CENSUS BY RIDLEY WILLS II In recent decades it has been appropriate to measure the size of America’s largest cities by the size of their Metropolitan Statistical areas (MSAs). This is because our largest cities tend to spill over into increasingly large metropolitan areas. A striking example is the Atlanta MSA, which in 2020 sprawled over 28 counties. In Tennessee, the Nashville MSA, the state’s most heavily populated, included these 12 counties: Davidson, Cannon, Cheatham, Dickson, Macon, Maury, Rutherford, Smith, Sumner, Rutherford, Williamson and Wilson. The Memphis MSA was the second largest. In 2020, it included Fayette, Shelby and Tipton Counties in Tennes-
see; DeSoto, Marshall, Tate and Tunica in Mississippi; and Crittenton in Arkansas. Chattanooga has six counties in its MSA. They include Hamilton, Marion and Sequatchie in Tennessee; and Dade, Catoosa, and Walker County in North Georgia. The Knoxville MSA includes Anderson, Knox, Blount and Union Counties while the Clarksville MSA includes Montgomery and Stewart Counties in Tennessee and Christian and Trigg Counties in Kentucky. The largest MSA in Tennessee in 2020 was the Nashville MSA, which was the 36th largest in the country. It grew by 20.86 percent since 2010. Only two MSAs in the country that were larger than Nashville grew faster
between 2010 and 2020: the Austin, Texas, MSA, which is the 28 th largest in the country and grew by 33.04 percent and the Orlando, Fla., MSA, which is the 22nd largest in the country and grew by 25.25 percent. The five largest MSAs in the country in 2020: 1. New York City 20,140,670 6.58% 2. Los Angeles 13,206,998 2.90% 3. Chicago 9,140,000 1.66% 4. Dallas/FortWorth 7,637,387 19.96% 5. Houston 7,122,240 20.30% In Tennessee, African Americans are the largest minority group. In
the state’s five largest cities the % of African Americans citizens were as follows in 2020: 1. Memphis 64.11% 2. Chattanooga 31.36% 3. Nashville 27.14% 4. Clarksville 23.80% 5. Knoxville 17.0% The percent of people 25 years and older in Tennessee’s five largest cities who held bachelor's degrees in 2020 is also interesting. Here are those percentages: 1. Nashville 25.79% 2. Chattanooga 19.38% 3. Knoxville 19.28% 4. Clarksville 18.69%
September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5
5. Memphis 15.27% The poverty rates in Tennessee’s five largest cities in 2020 were 1. Clarksville 14.50% 2. Nashville 15.09% 3. Chattanooga 17.64% 4. Knoxville 24.26% 5. Memphis 25.11% The average household incomes in Tennessee’s five largest cities in 2020 were 1. Nashville 83,348 2. Chattanooga 69,147 3. Memphis 62,588 4. Knoxville 58,801 5. Clarksville 56,295
PAGE 6 | September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
FEATURE
PHOTO BY HANNAH HERNER
Like A Prayer Larissa Romero is the first female head pastor of Downtown Presbyterian Church, home of ‘The Contributor’ BY HANNAH HERNER On the wall opposite of her desk, interim head pastor of Downtown Presbyterian Church Larissa Romero has collaged black frames, with grayscale pictures inside. These are her saints. They are civil rights activists Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Rev. Ralph Abernathy and Martin Luther King, Jr., poet Maya Angelou, Saint Oscar Romero, Catholic social activist and anarchist Dorothy Day, her former professor Rev. James Cone, artist Frida Kahlo and actor Robin Williams. These are all people whose work has changed her deeply, she says. “When I am asking myself a question, I think it's really good to remember that we stand on the shoulders of people who've come before us,” she says. “We're beholden to them. So these are folks that I try to make myself accountable to if I'm making a decision or asking questions about myself or my place within a system.” She was brought in as an interim pastor on a yearly contract to lead the church through some big changes, though they’re still developing what those will be. DPC has done some discernment over the last year through a program called Project Thrive. The idea is that a church doesn’t have to have a certain number of congregants or a certain amount of money to be thriving.
Next they’ll work together to come up with a mission and a vision for the church, and what they can do to move toward that. One part of the Project Thrive findings is that quite a few members of the congregation are people 30-40 years old — which is a shift to a younger demographic. Additionally, in the downtown area, there are many young singles that may be looking for a place in the church community. The process is less about numbers and, “more about what is God doing through the church at that time that's energizing people and making people feel good and connected with one another and with God,” Romero says. Being in downtown Nashville feels good because it reminds her of her time in seminary in New York City. DPC is different from other churches that she’s been involved with in logistical ways, like being home to artists' lofts and a street paper, but it also stands out in an ideological way. “They have a unique drive to live into their gospel values as they relate to social justice. So that's quite beautiful,” she says. While she was in New York City, she worked with Picture the Homeless, an organization that organizes for social justice, especially on issues such as housing and police violence and the shelter system. The
whole board of that organization is made up of people who have experienced or are currently experiencing homelessness. “The line is, nothing for us, without us,” Romero adds. “I think similarly, it would be interesting if we asked those questions of ourselves, you know, what does it look like for us to minister alongside and with our community, because the homeless folks in our community are a part of our community.” In her bio on the church website she describes her commitment to working thorough, “deliberative tendencies we share in the midst of contradictory complexity.” To Romero, that means her role is to sit with people in their cognitive dissonance and their inner conflicts. That’s the key to freedom, she says. “I think a lot of our lives are paradoxical. We like to think of ourselves and the world around us as being black and white, able to be easily categorized,” she says. “And I think the real truth often times lies somewhere in between, in liminal spaces. And I think when we can be comfortable with being uncomfortable, and we can learn to sit in those in-between spaces — then we start to experience all kinds of freeing up of our hearts, mind, body, souls, everything.” It’s important to give a lot of grace to
September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7
others, and not think of people as good or bad, but constantly growing and changing, she added. The church reaching out to people experiencing homelessness is a part of that. “If we're talking about our homeless neighbors, it’s recognizing the need for deep solidarity, not that I do for you, so you do for me, but something much deeper, which is my liberation and my freedom, being well in this world, is bound up in you doing well and being well — all of us together,” she says. She hesitates to say what she envisions for the church. She knows that change has to be collaborative, with buy-in from the congregation. “It's actually our vision and not just my vision,” she says. “Times of transition are known to be difficult,” Romero says. “So our relationships are going to get strained at some point by virtue of the fact that we're going through so much change together. But something that I'm grateful for is their leadership, and the congregation, from what I understand — I think we can really trust that we each have the best hopes for the church at heart, and we really trust God is doing some good work here. And we don't entirely know where that's going to lead us yet.”
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COVER STORY
CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH In partnership with ‘La Noticia,’ we interview three community leaders around this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month theme: Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope
Tell us a bit about yourself. I was born in the United States and grew up speaking Spanish and learned English at school. My parents came to Knoxville in 1961 and my dad was Colombian and mom half Colombian and half Belgian. My wife Iris, from Honduras, only spoke Spanish when she came to Nashville. What about Hispanic Heritage Month should people know? Hispanic Heritage Month was created by President Johnson then expanded by President Reagan. The month is opened officially by the Nashville Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Nashville's mayor since 2005. The month is too busy socially to attend all the events, but give it a try. What unique perspectives are driven by your history
and background? Growing up bilingual and multi-cultural gave me a sense of looking at life from the outside. As a child I remember driver’s licenses were available in different languages in Tennessee. After I became an attorney doing immigration law I formed a group Unámonos (let’s unite) around 1994. We succeeded in making the driver’s license test available without a Social Security number and restored taking the test in Spanish. We translated the driver’s manual and gave out 10,000 copies. Unfortunately we could not keep the exam available without a social, but the test survived and was expanded into numerous languages. This helped the Hispanic and immigrant community grow. What about your community makes you proud? The Hispanic community comes to the U.S. seeking a better life. Sound familiar? It’s the American Dream.
MARIO RAMOS LAWYER
CELEBRANDO EL MES DE LA HERENCIA HISPANA En asociación con "La Noticia", entrevistamos a tres líderes comunitarios sobre el tema del Mes de la Herencia Hispana de este año: Esperanza: una celebración de la herencia y esperanza hispana
Cuéntanos un poco sobre ti. Nací en los Estados Unidos y crecí hablando español y aprendí inglés en la escuela. Mis padres llegaron a Knoxville en 1961 (papá Colombia y mamá 1/2 colombiano 1/2 belga). Mi esposa Iris (Honduras) solo hablaba español cuando vino a Nashville. ¿Qué pasa con el Mes de la Herencia Hispana que la gente debe saber? El Mes de la Herencia Hispana fue creado por (7 días) el presidente Johnson y luego (30 días) el presidente Reagan. El mes es inaugurado oficialmente por la Cámara de Comercio Hispana de Nashville y el alcalde de Nashville desde 2005. Debes de disfrutar todos los eventos; si puedes. ¿Qué perspectivas únicas son impulsadas por su historia y antecedentes? Crecer bilingüe y bicultural me dio la opor-
September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9
tunidad de ver la vida de diferentes perspectivas. Cuando era joven recuerdo que la licencia de conducir estaba disponible en diferentes idiomas. Al graduarme de abogado desempeñándome en ley de inmigración formé un grupo llamado Unámonos, en 1994. Con el cual logramos que la licencia de conducir estuviera disponible sin un número de seguro social y se restableció la prueba en español, se tradujo el manual de conductor al español y se distribuyeron 10,000 copias. Desafortunadamente no pudimos mantener el examen sin un Seguro Social, sobrevivió el test en español y se expandió a numerosos idiomas. Eso ayudo a la comunidad hispana e inmigrante a crecer. ¿Qué hay de tu comunidad que te hace sentir orgulloso? Mis padres y mi esposa vinieron a los Estados Unidos en busca de una vida mejor. ¿Te suena familiar? Sueño americano.
COVER STORY
Tell us a bit about yourself. I come from the South, the other South, South America. I was born in the magestic city of Cusco, Peru. I am a descendant of the Quechuan people and proudly have a Bolivian mother and Peruvian father. I made Nashville my home about 20 years ago and became a U.S citizen 12 years ago. I am an entrepreneur, a hiker, lover of the Pachamama — or Mother Nature. Radnor is pretty much my home. I am a very passionate person. Everything I do in life, it is led by my heart. And I am currently learning Quechua, the Incan imperial language spoken in the Andean regions of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.
What about Hispanic Heritage Month should people know? Latinx, Hispanics, Latinos, Chicanos and even indigenous descendants are part of this beautiful world called — here in the U.S. — Hispanics. There is not “one look” of what is Hispanic. We come in all colors, ethnicities and nationalities. We are a culture proud of our roots, our customs, our music, our food. We are a family oriented culture, have great respect for our elders and always honor the memories and teachings of our departed loved ones. Although we speak Spanish, we have different accents and dialects. We speak native indigenous languages as well. Some are of African heritage; others are of European ancestry. And many of us have indigenous native roots. Asians, Arabs and other cultures belong to this beautiful Hispanic world.
We are strong, resilient and huge risk takers. At the end of the day when we decide to stay in this country and adapt ourselves, moving from one culture to another, we are taking steps that are not necessarily common to all peoples. What unique perspectives are driven by your history and background? I come from a family that always looked for justice and fairness for all. My father was a writer and a dreamer. My mother was the alpha entrepreneur in my life. My grandfather was a journalist and a politician and my grandmother an educator. Money was never the motivator in the pursuit of my dreams and in my support of others in the pursuit of theirs. My South American indigenous roots have driven me to get closer to and to get to know the native indigenous peoples of North America.
What about your community makes you proud? We are a generous community based on reciprocity. Our Golden Rule is to help those that come after you. According to the 2020 Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship study, Latino-owned businesses contributed about $500 billion to the economy. Over the past 10 years, the number of Latino business owners grew 34 percent compared to 1 percent for all business owners in the U.S.. Latina-owned small businesses are the fastest growing segment of the business community. Cultural pride, love of family, resilience, strength, hard work, risk taking and other qualities make immigrants difference makers that contribute to the success of not only this nation but to any and all nations that are willing to open their arms and hearts to them.
LORAINE SEGOVIA PAZ JOURNALIST, ENTREPRENEUR
Perú, Bolivia y Ecuador.
Cuéntanos un poco sobre ti. Vengo del Sur, el otro Sur, América del Sur. Nací en la majestuosa ciudad del Cusco, Perú. Soy descendiente del pueblo quechua y orgullosamente de madre boliviana y padre peruano. Hice de Nashville mi hogar hace unos 20 años y me hice ciudadana estadounidense hace 12 años. Soy emprendedora, me gusta el montañismo y soy amante de la Pachamama- o Madre Naturaleza. Radnor Park es prácticamente mi hogar. Soy un ser muy apasionado. Todo lo que hago en la vida, lo guía mi corazón. Y actualmente estoy aprendiendo quechua, el idioma imperial inca que se habla en las regiones andinas de
¿Qué debe saber la gente sobre el Mes de la Herencia Hispana? Latinx, hispanos, latinos, chicanos e incluso descendientes de indígenas son parte de este hermoso mundo llamado -aquí en Estados Unidoshispanos. No hay “one look” de lo que es hispano. Venimos de todos los colores, etnias y nacionalidades. Somos una cultura orgullosa de nuestras raíces, nuestras costumbres, nuestra música, nuestra comida. Somos una cultura orientada a la familia, tenemos un gran respeto por nuestros mayores y siempre honramos los recuerdos y enseñanzas de nuestros seres queridos fallecidos. Aunque hablamos español, tenemos diferentes acentos y dialectos. También hablamos lenguas indígenas nativas. Algunos son de herencia africana; otros son de ascendencia europea. Y muchos de nosotros tenemos
raíces nativas indígenas. Asiáticos, árabes y otras culturas pertenecen a este hermoso mundo hispano. Somos fuertes, resilientes y tomamos grandes riesgos. Al fin y al cabo, cuando decidimos quedarnos en este país y adaptarnos, pasando de una cultura a otra, estamos dando pasos que no son necesariamente comunes en todas las personas. ¿Qué perspectivas únicas son impulsadas por tu historia y antecedentes? Vengo de una familia que siempre buscó justicia y equidad para todos. Mi padre era escritor y soñador. Mi madre fue la empresaria alfa de mi vida. Mi abuelo fue periodista y político, y mi abuela educadora. El dinero nunca fue el motivador en la búsqueda de mis sueños y en mi apoyo a los demás en la búsqueda de los suyos. Mis raíces indígenas sudamericanas me han llevado a acercarme y conocer a los pueblos indígenas nativos de América del Norte.
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¿Qué te enorgullece de tu comunidad? Somos una comunidad generosa basada en la reciprocidad. Nuestra regla de oro es ayudar a los que vienen después de ti. Según el estudio 2020 de Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship, las empresas de propiedad de latinos contribuyeron con alrededor de $500 mil millones a la economía. Durante los últimos 10 años, la cantidad de propietarios de negocios latinos creció un 34 por ciento en comparación con el 1 por ciento de todos los propietarios de negocios en los EEUU. Las pequeñas empresas de propiedad de latinas son el segmento de más rápido crecimiento de la comunidad empresarial. El orgullo cultural, el amor a la familia, la resiliencia, la fuerza, el trabajo duro, la asunción de riesgos y otras cualidades hacen que los inmigrantes marquen la diferencia que contribuyen al éxito no solo de esta nación sino de todas las naciones que estén dispuestas a abrirles los brazos y el corazón.
COVER STORY
Tell us a bit about yourself. My name is Yuri Cunza, I was born in Lima, Peru, went to college in Argentina in the late ’80s to study medicine but did not finish because I ended up moving to the U.S and changing career paths. I first came to Nashville in 1992, so more than half of my life has been spent here. Nashville is my home. I co-founded La Noticia newspaper in 2003 with Loraine Segovia-Paz, the best partner I could have had to start this effort. I also have been involved in business and community advocacy through my work at the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (NAHCC), and by serving through the years in many boards, most recently at the national level with the U.S Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. I have B.F.A in Film Directing from Watkins College and attended the Harvard University Kennedy School and University
of Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business nonprofit management programs. What about Hispanic Heritage Month should people know? Hispanic heritage month is not a foreign celebration. It is not Mexican or of any particular Spanish speaking country. It is an American celebration recognizing the contributions of those who trace their roots to Spanish speaking countries. There are 21 countries where Spanish is spoken: Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Panama, Peru, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Spain, if we include the United States (though not the official language) where according to the most recent U.S Census 2020, 62.1 millions Hispanics constitute the largest minority population in the country by heritage at 18.7 percent of the U.S population. We should add to the list the island Puerto Rico which is an unincorporated territory of the United States and is neither a sovereign nation nor a U.S. state, with 5-plus million Puerto Ricans living in the States and close to 3 million on the Island. This month recognizes
the business, professional, civic, cultural and artistic contributions of more than 62.1 million Hispanics in our country and in our local Nashville community. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on Sept. 15 and ending on Oct. 15. It was enacted into law on Aug. 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402. What unique perspectives are driven by your history and background? Being born in South America and having visited a few neighboring countries since I was 9 years old helped me grasp diversity. I grew up with primarily Mexican television programming, which is an entertainment world power, so Mexico was like Hollywood full of talent and success; and dubbed to Spanish U.S made TV series, where Americans are always the “good guys,” the superheroes, the fighters for justice. It was a different story when I arrived. I observed, and learned about racial inequities still visible and present, and Mexicans were not seen the same way I did growing up. The American experience of Hispanic or foreign born populations was very different and was permeated by stereotypes.
What about your community makes you proud? The Hispanic community in Nashville is a very resilient, hard working, contributing community. In my nearly 30 years in Nashville, I have seen their growth and development. I do not remember meeting a Hispanic who wanted a handout. Our community is here because of an unfortunate economic disparity that takes place in way too close proximity with our southern neighbors, and they are here to earn fair wages through hard work. It makes me proud to see how a person's dream can materialize when passion and persistence is a key component of a business formula. Latinas in particular make up more than 50% of the local Hispanic businesses in Nashville estimated at 1,500-plus, according to the AHCC. Our Hispanic population has not given up on Nashville, at 14 percent there are more than 100,000 now and 479,187 in the state of Tennessee. Our Hispanic community is often portrayed as a community in need, and it might be in fact in need of many things, but not of your pity or charity, it is in need of respect, appreciation, cultural appreciation, political appreciation, but most of all, of a fair opportunity.
YURI CUNZA JOURNALIST, COMMUNITY ADVOCATE, BUSINESS LEADER lucro de la Escuela de Negocios Mendoza de la Universidad de Notre Dame.
Cuéntanos un poco sobre ti. Mi nombre es Yuri Cunza, nací en Lima, Perú, fui a la universidad en Argentina a fines de los 80 para estudiar medicina pero no terminé porque me mudé a los Estados Unidos y cambié de carrera. Vine por primera vez a Nashville en 1992, por lo que más de la mitad de mi vida la he pasado aquí. Nashville es mi hogar. Co-fundé el periódico La Noticia en 2003 con Loraine Segovia-Paz, la mejor socia empresarial que pude haber tenido para iniciar este esfuerzo. También he estado involucrado iniciativas de avance de nuestra comunidad y los negocios hispanos a través de mi trabajo en la Cámara de Comercio Hispana del Área de Nashville (NAHCC) y sirviendo a través de los años en muchas juntas directivas, más recientemente a nivel nacional con la Cámara de Comercio Hispana de EE. UU. (USHCC). Tengo una licenciatura en bellas artes ( dirección de cine) de Watkins College y tengo un certificado profesional de la Escuela Kennedy de la Universidad de Harvard y asistí a más de veinte programas de gestión para organizaciones sin fines de
¿Qué debe saber la gente sobre el Mes de la Herencia Hispana? El mes de la herencia hispana no es una celebración extranjera. No es sobre México o ningún país de habla hispana en particular. Es una celebración estadounidense que reconoce las contribuciones de quienes tienen raíces en países de habla hispana. Hay 21 países donde se habla español: México, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, República Dominicana, Panamá, Perú, Guinea Ecuatorial, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua y Venezuela, España, si incluimos a los Estados Unidos (aunque no es el idioma oficial) donde según el censo más reciente del 2020, 62.1 millones de hispanos constituyen la población minoritaria más grande del país por herencia siendo el 18.7 por ciento de la población estadounidense. Deberíamos agregar a la lista la isla de Puerto Rico, que es un territorio no incorporado de los Estados Unidos y no es una nación soberana ni un estado estadounidense, con más de 5 millones de puertorriqueños viviendo en los Estados Unidos y cerca de 3 millones en la isla. De esta forma, el mes nacional de la herencia hispana reconoce las contribuciones comerciales, profesionales, cívicas, culturales y artísticas
de más de 62.1 millones de hispanos en nuestro país y en nuestra comunidad local de Nashville. La observación comenzó en 1968 como Semana de la Herencia Hispana bajo el mandato del presidente Lyndon Johnson y fue ampliada por el presidente Ronald Reagan en 1988 para cubrir un período de 30 días que comienza el 15 de septiembre y termina el 15 de octubre. Se promulgó como ley el 17 de agosto de 1988. sobre la aprobación de la Ley Pública 100-402. ¿Qué perspectivas únicas son el resultado de tu historia y experiencia vivencial? Nacer en América del Sur y haber visitado algunos países vecinos desde que tenía 9 años me ayudó a comprender la diversidad. Crecí con programación de televisión principalmente mexicana, que es una potencia mundial del entretenimiento, por lo que México era en in mi percepción, como un Hollywood lleno de talento y éxito; y series de televisión hecha en Estados Unidos doblada al español, donde los estadounidenses son siempre los “buenos”, los superhéroes, los luchadores por la justicia. La realidad era muy diferente cuando llegué aquí. Observé y aprendí sobre las desigualdades raciales aún visibles y presentes, y que los mexicanos no eran vistos de la misma manera que yo los veía cuando era niño. La experiencia estadounidense de las poblaciones hispanas o nacidas en el extranjero era muy diferente y
September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11
estaba impregnada de estereotipos. ¿Qué te enorgullece de tu comunidad? La comunidad hispana en Nashville es una comunidad muy resistente, trabajadora y emprendedora. En mis casi 30 años en Nashville, he visto su gran crecimiento y desarrollo. No recuerdo haber conocido a un hispano que quisiera algo regalado. Nuestra comunidad está aquí debido a una desafortunada disparidad económica que tiene su epicentro en una proximidad demasiado cercana con nuestros vecinos del sur, y ellos están aquí para ganar salarios justos a través del trabajo duro. Me enorgullece ver cómo los sueños de las personas pueden materializarse cuando la pasión y la perseverancia son un componente clave de su fórmula empresarial. Las latinas emprendedoras en particular, que representan más del 50% de los negocios hispanos en Nashville, con un estimado total de más de 1,500 (fuente: NAHCC). Nuestra población hispana no ha perdido la fé en Nashville, siendo ya un 14% con más de 100,000 personas ahora y 479,187 en el estado de Tennessee. Nuestra comunidad hispana a menudo es representada como una comunidad necesitada, y de hecho puede necesitar muchas cosas, pero no de su compasión o caridad, necesita respeto, aprecio, aprecio cultural, aprecio político, pero por sobre todo, de una oportunidad justa.
NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT
How Poverty and the Arts kindles community in times defined by distance BY JUSTIN WAGNER Those experiencing homelessness face a bevy of challenges, especially in the midst of a global pandemic. Edwin Lockridge knows those challenges well — but he also knows the elation of sharing art in a public exhibition. “That is an experience. There are no words,” Lockridge said. “It’s you, yourself, your art and the world. It’s amazing, it really is.” Lockridge first held a paintbrush in his hand as an infant; it’s a means of self-expression he’s always found a natural fit and it’s a skill passed onto him from his father, he said. And while maintaining the ability to create art is difficult when you lack a consistent roof over your head, Lockridge has not stopped for anything in 50 years. In fact, he’s spent the last three years in a space where he can create, sell, exhibit and collaborate to his heart’s content. This space is Poverty and the Arts, a nonprofit artists’ collective based in Nashville. As the organization looks toward a full-scale rebrand and expanded opportunities for artists, it remains focused on building community for its cohort. Lockridge is one of many platformed in some part by the local nonprofit, from simple provision of art supplies to joint projects with the Frist Art Museum. Like Lockridge, painter Thaddeus Tekell has carried artistic ambitions with him his whole life. But when he had to reckon with homelessness in his late 20s, finding ground to cultivate those ambitions was a challenge. He didn’t stop creating or showing his art, but he found little in the way of accessible platforms or local communities. After all, Tekell isn’t enamored with group settings. “Group things are really hard for me,” he explained. “I’m schizophrenic… I get upset about things other people don’t even notice, and things that upset other people, I think are funny.” Despite this, Tekell has spent the last three years involved with Poverty and the Arts. He
Art in the studio of POVA. PHOTO BY JUSTIN WAGNER spends his infrequent visits committing his experiences and hallucinations to vivid, introspective watercolors, preparing them for exhibition and sale. “I came here one day just to check it out, I wasn’t really thinking of joining,” Tekell says. “But I met some of the people and before I knew it, they were signing me up… it’s good, what this place does.” It’s at POVA that Tekell met Lockridge, now a close friend and collaborator. They’re able to bond over their synchronous experiences — not just histories of homelessness and artistry, but also appreciation for jazz and Picasso. “He has a beautiful spirit and is a gifted artist,” Lockridge says of Tekell. “I’m blessed and privileged to call him my friend.” According to founder and Executive Director Nicole Minyard, connections like these are at the heart of POVA’s potency. “When we started interviewing and asking
LEARN WHERE TO VIEW ART FROM POVERT Y IN THE ARTS ARTISTS AT POVANASHVILLE.ORG/ VIE W-ART questions about ‘what's your favorite part,’ it always came back to community,” Minyard says. “It came back to feeling like they never fit in, and they finally belonged.” Minyard explained that homelessness can be an isolating, traumatic experience — and solutions to the problem of homelessness are incomplete without an attempt to foster real community and allow for expression. “Providing marginalized populations with art gives them a voice to reclaim their narrative and reshare it,” she says. “A lot of times when you're homeless, these talking heads get to paint the picture of who you are.” These ambitions arose organically from a much smaller POVA, which Minyard first
envisioned almost a decade ago as a college student looking for ways to assist the homelessness community in unconventional ways. Since then, the collective has grown to include 16 active artists and a team of workers and volunteers who make outreach, management and sales possible. Minyard said POVA even has plans to diversify its services further within the next year, including a graduation program whereby artists can find their way into housing and further navigate a career in art. Despite these plans, a major obstacle — COVID-19 — has been a pressing source of turbulence for the nonprofit as these plans come to fruition. “During COVID … we didn't recruit, it was really hard to bring on new artists. And we were also in a transition, figuring out how to adapt during that period,” Minyard says. The pandemic has hit the artists hard too, with a lack of in-person interaction leaving artists hamstrung in trying to market their work. “You get used to selling a certain amount a month, and then it drops off to nothing,” said Tekell. “We had, it was the third gala I’d been in, it was virtual this year … I don’t think this kind of art comes off as well online.” For artist A.M. HASSAN, even more pressing was the lack of safe access to a community she loved. “It’s like a family, artistic brothers and sisters,” she says. “The pandemic really put a damper on it, it’s like someone broke up our family.” But, as A.M. HASSAN noted, the community she found at POVA was a source of hope for things to get better. It’s a hope Minyard shares as she looks forward to POVA’s next steps. But above all, her interest is in keeping the family of POVA empowered by their collective work, she said. “You know, you really start to see how it can become fundamental,” she says. “Even to their motivation to get out of their circumstances ... just having some light and joy to connect to.”
Thank you to all supporters and providers for serving our friends in the community who are experiencing temporary homelessness. Open Table Nashville • People Loving Nashville • ShowerUp • Project Return • Park Center • The Contributor • Mental Health Cooperative • Room in the Inn • West End United Methodist • Councilman Sean Parker • Clencliff Village *Paid for by Friends to ReElect Lynda Jones, Cathy Werthan, treasurer
PAGE 12 | September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOS BY DAVID PIÑEROS FROM NASHVILLE'S PRIDE CELEBRATION, SEPT 21, 2021.
September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13
PAGE 14 | September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
The New Christian Year Selected by Charles Williams
Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886–1945), the editor of the following selections, is today probably the third most famous of the famous Inklings literary group of Oxford, England, which existed in the middle of the 20th century, and which included among its ranks the better-known and longer-lived Oxford Dons J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis—but he was arguably the most precocious and well-read of this eminent and intellectually fertile group. He was also known to have influenced Dorothy Sayers, T. S. Eliot and W. H. Auden. Lacking a proper degree unlike his fellow Inklings, this genius Cockney-speaking author, editor, critic, and playwright was eminently well-versed in both philosophical and theological writings of the remote past as of the present day (the mid-20th century) and used this familiarity to good effect in his poetry, supernatural fiction and his lesser-known devotional selections designed for the spiritual benefit of the faithful in the Church of England. This series of profound quotations, encompassing all walks of life, follows the sequence of the themes and Bible readings anciently appointed for contemplation throughout the church's year, beginning with Advent (i.e., December) and ending in November, and reaches far beyond the pale of the philosophical and theological discussions of his day. It was under his hand, for instance, that some of the first translations of Kierkegaard were made available to the wider public. It is hoped that the readings reproduced here will prove beneficial for any who read them, whatever their place in life's journey. — Matthew Carver
The Feast of St Michael and All Angels
Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity
19th Friday after Trinity
GOD which moveth mere natural agents as an efficient only, doth likewise move intellectual creatures, and especially his holy angels: for beholding the face of God, in admiration of so great excellency they all adore him; and being rapt with the love of his beauty, they cleave inseparably for ever unto him. Desire to resemble him in goodness maketh them unweariable and even unsatiable in their longing to do by all means all manner good unto all the creatures of God, but especially unto the children of men: in the countenance of whose nature, looking downward, they behold themselves beneath themselves; even as upward, in God, beneath whom themselves are, they see that character which is nowhere but in themselves and us resembled. Hooker: Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity.
THIS is the light of bare reason or the reasoning faculty of the mind has no contrariety to the vices of the heart; it neither kills them nor is killed by them. As pride, vanity, hypocrisy, envy or malice don't take away from the mind its geometrical skill, so a man may be most mathematical in his demonstrations of the religion of reason when he has extinguished every good sentiment of his heart, and be the most zealous for its excellency and sufficiency when he has his passions in the most disordered state. William Law: A Demonstration.
PRIDE calls me to the window, gluttony to the table, wantonness to the bed, laziness to the chimney, ambition commands me to go upstairs, and covetousness to come down. Vices, I see, are as well contrary to themselves as to virtue. Free me, Lord, from this distracted case; fetch me from being sin's servant to be thine, whose "service is perfect freedom," for thou art but one, and ever the same. Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times.
THE Cause of all is not one, as one among many, but before every one and every multitude, and it determines every one and every multitude. Dionysius the Areopagite: On The Divine Names.
WHEN we once begin to form good resolutions, God gives us every opportunity of carrying them out. St John Chrysostom: Homilies.
18th Wednesday after Trinity IF I look singularly to myself, I am right naught; but in general I am in hope, in oneness of charity with all mine even-Christians. For in this oneness standeth the life of all mankind that shall be saved. For God is all that is good, as to my sight, and God hath made all that is made, and God loveth all that he hath made: and he that loveth generally all his even-Christians for God, he loveth all that is. For in mankind that shall be saved is comprehended all: that is to say, all that is made and the Maker of all. For in man is God, and God is in all. Juliana of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love.
REPENTANCE is but a kind of table-talk, till we see so much of the deformity of our inward nature as to be in some degree frightened and terrified at the sight of it . . . A plausible form of an outward life, that has only learned rules and modes of religion by use and custom, often keeps the soul for some time at ease, though all its inward root and ground of sin has never been shaken or molested, though it has never tasted of the bitter waters of repentance and has only known the want of a Saviour by hearsay. But things cannot pass thus: sooner or later repentance must have a broken and a contrite heart; we must with our blessed lord go over the brook Cedron, and with Him sweat great drops of sorrow before He can say for us, as He said for Himself: "It is finished." William Law: Christian Regeneration.
[THERE are] . . . those who form too strong a love for one spiritual art, and make, as it were, an end for themselves of this act, and if, by any chance, they lose it, straightaway they despair and cease from all other acts. St Catherine of Siena.
18th Thursday after Trinity
19th Tuesday after Trinity
Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
AS I do no good action here, merely for the interpretation of good men, though that be one good and justifiable reason of my good actions: so I must do nothing for my salvation hereafter, merely for the love I bear to mine own soul, though that also be one good and justifiable reason of that action; but the primary reason in both, as well as the actions that establish a good name, as the actions that establish eternal life, must be the glory of God. Donne: Sermons.
HOW easy is pen and paper piety, for one to write religiously? I will not say it costeth nothing, but it is far cheaper to work one's head than one's heart to goodness. Some, perchance, may guess me to be good by my writings, and so I shall deceive my reader. But if I do not desire to be good, I most of all deceive myself. I can make an hundred meditations sooner than subdue the least sin in my soul. Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times.
HE who did not suffer as the man suffers upon whom hardships and adversity suddenly fall but who has before him every instant the possibility that everything nevertheless might be redressed—for He knew that it was inevitable; He who knew that with every new sacrifice He made in behalf of the truth He was hastening His persecution and destruction, so that He had control of His fate, could ensure for Himself the splendour of royal power and the devout admiration of the race if He would let go of the truth, but knew also with even greater certainty that He would ensure His destruction, if (oh, eternally certain way to destruction!) He were in any respect to desert the truth—how did he manage to live without anxiety for the next day? . . . He had Eternity with Him in the day that is called today, hence the next day had no power over Him, it had no existence for Him. It had no power over Him before it came, and when it came, and was the day that is called to-day it had no power over Him than that which was the Father's will, to which He had consented with eternal freedom, and to which He obediently bowed. Kierkegaard: Christian Discourses.
18th Friday after Trinity SINCE all sickness and corruption did fall to the flesh when the soul fell from this work, therefore shall all health come to the flesh when the soul by the grace of Jesu—the which is the chief worker—riseth to the same work again. And this shalt thou hope only to have by the mercy of Jesu and thy lovely consent. And therefore I pray thee with Solomon here in this passage that thou stand stoutly in this work, ever more bearing up unto him thy lovely consent in gladness of love. The Epistle of Privy Counsel. THE giving of thanks maketh entreaty of behalf of the feeble before God. The Paradise of the Fathers.
18th Saturday after Trinity THE word 'humanity' means unredeemed men and women; the word 'history' implies limitation and corruption; the pronoun 'I' spells judgement. Neither forwards nor backwards can we escape from this narrow gorge. There is therefore no alternative for us but to remain under the indictment; and only he who remains here without making any attempt to escape, even by spinning sophistries of human logic is able to praise God in His faithfulness. Barth: The Epistle to the Romans. WE indeed have these passions by reason of the weakness of our human nature; not so the Lord Jesus, whose weakness was of power. St Augustine: City of God. THE highest, the only proof of love, is to love our adversary. St Gregory, quoted in Aquinas: Catena Aurea.
REPENTANCE is tardy knowledge; innocence from the first is knowledge. St Clement: Stromata.
19th Monday after Trinity
YOU still shall tramp and tread on endless round of thought, to justify your action to yourselves, weaving a fiction which unravels as you weave, pacing forever in the hell of make-believe which never is belief. T. S. Eliot: Murder in the Cathedral.
19th Wednesday after Trinity IN the midst of my morning prayers I had a good meditation, which since I have forgotten. Thus much I remember of it—that it was pious in itself, but not proper for that time; for it took much from my devotion, and added nothing to my instruction; and my soul, not able to intend two things at once, abated of its fervency in praying. Thus snatching at two employments, I held neither well. Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times. GOD hath not forgiven thee thy sins because of thy repentance but because of thy thought to deliver thyself to Christ. The Paradise of the Fathers.
19th Thursday after Trinity WHEN the devil leaves any one he watches his time for return, and having taken it, he leads him into a second sin . . . Something like this took place in Judas, who after his repentance did not preserve his own heart, but received that more abundant sorrow supplied to him by the devil, who sought to swallow him up . . . But had he desired and looked for place and time for repentance, he would perhaps have found him who has said, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Or perhaps he desired to die before his Master on his way to death, and to meet him with a disembodied spirit that by confession and deprecation he might obtain mercy; and did not see that it is not fitting that a servant of God should dismiss himself from life, but should wait God's sentence. Origen, quoted by Aquinas: Catena Aurea.
WOULD wicked men dwell a little more at home, and descend into the bottom of their own hearts they would soon find Hell opening her mouth wide upon them, and those secret fires of inward fury and displeasure breaking out upon them. John Smith: Discoveries.
19th Saturday after Trinity
SOME men the fiend will deceive in this manner full wonderfully. He will enflame their brains to maintain God's law, and to destroy sin in all other men. He will never tempt them with a thing that is openly evil. All men will they reprove of their faults right as though they had a cure of their souls: and yet they think that they dare not else for God but tell them their faults that they see. And they say that they be stirred thereto by the fire of charity, and of God's love in their hearts; and truly they lie, for it is with the fire of hell, welling up in their brains and in their imagination. The Cloud of Unknowing.
20th Monday after Trinity IN suffering and tribulation there are really certain situations in which, humanly speaking, the thought of God and that he is nevertheless love, makes the suffering far more exhausting . . . For either one suffers at the thought that God the all-powerful, who could so easily help, leaves one helpless, or else one suffers because one's reason is crucified by the thought that God is love all the same and that what happens to one is for one's good . . . The further effort which the idea of God demands of us is to have to understand that suffering must not only be borne but that it is good, a gift of the God of love. Kierkegaard: Journals.
20th Tuesday after Trinity GIVE peace, that is, continue and preserve it; give peace, that is, give us hearts worthy of it, and thankful for it. In our time, that is, all our time: for there is more besides a fair morning required to make a fair day. Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times. TEACH me the art of patience whilst I am well, and give me the use of it when I am sick. Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times.
Sponsored by Matthew Carver, publisher
September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15
FUN
HOBOSCOPES LIBRA
It’s getting a little chilly out there, Libra! I mean, chilly for earth. On Mercury the temperatures can drop to negative 330 degrees fahrenheit. Then before you know it, they spike to above 750 degrees. That’s more than 1,000-degree spread! But, here on earth, if it drops by 25 degrees we break out the sweater box and stock up on hot chocolate. To me, Libra, it’s just a reminder that we are sensitive beings in sensitive bodies. Little differences will affect you. Pay attention to the changes and respect your instincts.
SCORPIO
In ancient times it was said that sirens would sing their irresistible song from craggy shores causing enthralled sailors to smash their ships into the rocks. I keep a smartphone in my pocket, so I can relate. It seems like everytime there’s a pause in my day, the phone sings out to me “Distract! Distract!” and so often my productive intentions lay at the unreachable bottom of an endless scroll. But there is a way around it, Scorpio. Give yourself some freedom this week. Take some time where your phone is off and nowhere near. Show those sirens who’s in charge.
SAGITTA R IUS
What a perfect day to do a little reading outside! I found a great little spot at the picnic table over in the shade. But I left my book in the car. And, waith, why did I leave this water bill on the passenger seat? Oh, right, I have to call them about my double payment. But I think I forgot to charge my phone last night. Where did I leave the charger? It’s probably by the sink. I should really do those dishes first. Honestly, it’s getting a little too hot outside. Maybe I’ll just stay in bed and watch TV. It can be hard to keep up with it all, Sagittarius, but you still deserve a break. Put the rest on hold.
CAPRICORN
AQUA RIUS
Of course, none of us want to be forgotten, Aquarius. We all hope that our presence here matters to those around us and maybe even to the world at large. But remember that sometimes the people most widely remembered are those who did the most damage. What I’m trying to say here, Aquarius, is that if you approach those around you with love, kindness and care, you’re bound to be remembered well. But the farther you extend your reach, the more careful you need to be about your impact. In short, live your life in such a way that they won’t make an HBO documentary about you when you die.
PISCES
The giant toucan is known for its large, long, colorful bill and it’s alleged love of fruity breakfast cereal. What toucans are not known for is being great flyers. It’s not that they can’t fly, but flying takes so much energy for a toucan that they are more likely to hop from branch to branch using their long bills to reach for fruit. You may find, Pisces, that you’re better off conserving energy this week and finding more practical or creative ways to get what you want.
When my shoulders start hurting I know it’s probably time to get new shoes. It’s funny how that works, Gemini. The way everything underneath affects everything above. I know you’re dealing with some stuff up top right now. Some things are going wrong and it makes you feel angry or out of control. But rather than shuffling around all the pieces to push the discomfort away, it might be time to go deeper. Get yourself some new shoes, so to speak. See how that feels.
CANCER
When I was a kid and I wanted to watch TV, I would turn on the TV and see what was on. Maybe I’d find something I liked and maybe I wouldn’t. I probably spent too much time staring at things I wasn’t interested in. Now when I want to watch TV, I pick from a list of shows. I can watch anything anytime I want and I’m so, so happy. Wait, maybe not that last part, Cancer. Sometimes having all the options makes you realize that this isn’t what you really wanted to be doing in the first place. Pretend you have all the options and see what you pick.
ARIES
It’s like that time you showed up to class wearing a long, white beard and a wizard’s hat and walking everywhere with a 6-foot staff. Everybody else was wearing suits and bonnets and military jackets. Mr. Bridges said to dress up like your favorite historical figure and she just never would agree that Gandalf was historical. People around you may think you’ve misunderstood the assignment, Aries, but I happen to know you’ve understood it better than most. Your imagination will get you further than following the rules.
TAURUS
It’s getting a little spooky out there, Capricorn. The days are getting short and the shadows are growing long. The one dead branch on the tree outside your window scrapes just a little bit against the glass and whispers something you almost start to understand. Don’t forget, Capricorn, that the easiest way to keep the creeps at bay is to get some other eyes on the situation. Invite somebody over. You can either be creeped out together, or shine some light into the dim.
GEMINI
You know that movie, Taurus, where the group of oblivious campers are picked off one by one by a mysterious and unstoppable killer? I wonder if you think about that movie too much. Like, just about the time you start having fun you suddenly stop and look around and make sure you aren’t having too much fun because you know that’s exactly when something bad happens. I’ll tell you what, Taurus, bad things are going to happen sometimes. It’s true. But it won’t be because you’re having fun. Wouldn’t you rather have some fun in the meantime?
LEO
I was out for a walk today in a new neighborhood and I took a wrong turn and ended up at a comic book convention. I was probably more surprised than you are. It sort of snuck up on me. One minute I notice a few outdoor tents and tables selling merch and the next thing I know I’m standing between somebody in a Megaman costume and somebody with foldable bionic wings. Sometimes, Leo, the day is not what you expect. If you’re tired of how today went, try going for a walk somewhere new tomorrow.
VIRGO
Have you had your first dose of candy corn yet, Virgo? It’s important that you get enough candy corn this time of year in order to ensure a pleasant holiday season for all. I know, I know, it’s not everybody’s favorite. But sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do just to take care of each other. If you haven’t had yours yet, it’s typically available at your local pharmacy and it takes less time than you think.
Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a trained chiropractor, or certified pharmacist. Mr. Mysterio is, however, a budding intermediate podcaster! Check out The Mr. Mysterio Podcast. Season 2 is now playing at mrmysterio.com. Got a question, just give Mr. M a call at 707-VHS-TAN1
PAGE 16 | September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
VENDOR WRITING
THE CAMP FIRE JEN A.
There's a clearing in a cedar grove Down near where the rivers merge That serves as a gathering ground For honest wayfaring seekers A crucible of glowing coals spills forth Onto a bed of clay and river sand Within a ring of sacred stones Its warmth resounds throughout the land The seekers called, come one by one With foraged twigs and slabs of bark Of willow, sass, of birch and oak The fire stoked, a flame ignites A branch of truth is added then And logs of trust, of open hearts The spirit quickens from the flames To rouse the throng with its might The revelers join hand to hand And circle round for warmth and light They sing, they dance, they laugh, they cry They share their triumphs and their pain And once the flames revert to coals A hush befalls the clearing ground The seekers now embraced as one Share tokens of their meeting The coals are gathered up again A symbol of the place called home The seekers filled with truth and grace
THEME: SCA RY MOV IES ACROSS 1. Shenanigan 6. "Losing My Religion" band 9. Kind of learning 13. Capital of Egypt 14. Nest egg acronym 15. Cupid's target 16. Bar, legally 17. Indian restaurant staple 18. Kind of committee, two words 19. *Hedge maze, dull boy, redrum, with The 21. *Pretend girlfriend, surgery, body parts 23. Monkey ____, monkey do 24. Post-it message 25. It makes a guitar
louder 28. Royal Indian 30. Perfumes 35. Glorify 37. Freeway exit 39. Like today's cell phones? 40. Keen on 41. Like a confection 43. At any time 44. One of the large keys on the right 46. Greek portico 47. Common workday start 48. Former President of Egypt 50. Ancient eternal life symbol 52. *Bathtub, hacksaws, Jigsaw
Continue on their way
September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17
53. Euphemism for "darn" 55. *Blind violinist, transplant surgery, sees ghosts, with The 57. *Hotel, mother, shower 60. *Count, bite, cross 64. Hot winter drink 65. Aye's opposite 67. Financial benefactor 68. Seize a throne 69. Headquartered in Langley 70. Exclude or omit 71. Done on a Smith Corona 72. Old age, archaic 73. 6666... DOWN 1. Single pip cards 2. Crosby, Stills, ____ & Young 3. South American monkey 4. Actor Jeremy 5. Xerox machine 6. *Videotape, stone well, seven days, with The 7. Paleozoic one 8. Tropical smoothie flavor 9. Make over 10. Hawaiian island 11. Ragtime turkey dance 12. And so on, abbr. 15. Bias crime perpetrators 20. Closes in on 22. Pilot's announcement, acr.
24. ID badge, two words 25. *Sigourney Weaver, outer space 26. Old Testament miracle food 27. Hits while on the green 29. *Beachgoers, police chief, need for bigger boat 31. *Boy, shadows in photographs, three sixes, with The 32. "Transylvania" daughter 33. Entertainment complex 34. Scatter 36. "Nobody ____ It Better" 38. Low-ranking worker 42. One who accepts the offer 45. Porter's head gear 49. U Rah ____! 51. Seven daughters of Atlas 54. Present 56. Food-borne bacteria 57. One in a pocketful, according to Mother Goose 58. Fish a.k.a. porgy 59. Bygone era 60. Two of a kind 61. Type of operating system 62. Prospector's mother? 63. God of war, son of Zeus 64. Director's cry 66. Be ill
VENDOR WRITING
Hello? Earth to the Political Class! BY JEN A.. I received a letter from a high-profile politician the other day asking that I send them money to help promote their agenda. Confused at first, I couldn't imagine why anyone would be asking me for money. I mean — you know — there isn't much room below the poverty line once you get beyond me. Then, suddenly, I got it. I'm a registered voter and I actually vote every time they open the polls. If dogcatcher is the only office on the ballot, I'm there doing my civic duty. I started to laugh as I thumbed through the collection of papers in the envelope. By the time I got to the four-color brochure, its only purpose to demonize and excoriate the other side, I was laughing so hard I almost choked. I couldn't help but think, Who are these people? Are they aware of what's going on in the world? Please don't try to bait me by telling me how evil the other side is and make me feel it's my responsibility to raise enough money to defeat them in the next election. Tell
me how you'll make things better for us poor schlubs out here in the trenches of America. Better yet, SHOW ME! Most of those in the political class I've seen don't look as though they've missed any meals. Their children are well dressed and have nice shoes. Their babies have diapers and they appear to be able to afford feminine hygiene products. They have multiple homes and vacation in exotic places. They're seen at upscale restaurants. They all have taxpayer-funded health insurance. There's a private gym at the Capitol. They have personal security that drives them wherever they would like to go. They are wined and dined and enriched by lobbyists and foreign heads of state. They can send out letters asking for money and pay no postage. Most Americans don't have access to any of those things. Let them fund their own campaigns! And that goes double for the political class in Tennessee. What have they done
for us lately? The state legislature did nothing to keep us in our homes. They reduced the number of weeks we can draw unemployment. They have demonized transgender folks, putting them in grave danger from our more sociopathic citizens. They refuse to extend healthcare benefits to our most hardworking, vulnerable citizens. They want to codify "right to work" statutes into our constitution that will disadvantage ALL of our workers. Both Tennessee senators voted against the Infrastructure bill even as our bridges crumble and towns like Waverley are washed away because of infrastructure neglect and unmitigated climate change conditions. As far as I'm concerned, we shouldn't get a dime of those funds. Our senators lack the courage and vision to do the right thing for our state. How could they vote no? Let the current political class of Tennessee foot the bill to improve our infrastructure. They're loaded!
Down here where I live it's all we can do to keep our heads above water. Our babies are hungry and our children have no shoes. The other grandmothers I know are scrambling for resources in an effort to keep their grandchildren from being tossed out of their homes onto the street. It's really bad down here y'all! And I'm sure it's not much better for those higher up on the social ladder. We've been sold a tragically hollow bill of goods by the political class. So I would ask, should you receive a letter, or email, or Facebook blast from someone in the political class asking for money for their campaign, I hope you stop to think about it for a minute. Invest instead in our community. Buy some diapers and drop them off at one of our community centers. Take some basketballs to one of our minority schools. Pay a single mother's back rent or car payment. Isn't it time the political class learned to fend for themselves. It's what they've always expected from us.
TREAT THOSE YOU LOVE LIKE GOLD
CAN’T BE LUKEWARM
BY NORMA B.
BY JOHN H.
Recently (in late July/early August) an older couple June (the husband) and Shirley (the wife) stopped by to get the latest edition of The Contributor newspaper. June told me he’d just gotten out of the hospital — evidence of that was plain to see in the form of all the colorful arm bands that lined his right wrist. I told him I was glad he was out of the hospital and I hoped that meant he was feeling better and that he was on his way to a full recovery! He said, “I don’t know about all that, but since I was on this side of town, I thought I’d come and see you in person and get my paper in person.” (Sometimes when he wasn’t up to it he’d send Shirley to get it for him.) I smiled as he took the paper and he squeezed my hand and away they went. As they drove away, I remember thinking that he did look tired, weak and frail. As it turns out, “It Takes A Village” was his final issue of The Contributor. Shirley came to see me about a week and a half later and told me he had died on Aug. 14, and asked me to pray for him. I wanted to confirm their names. (It’s always good to be as specific as possible in your prayers.) She said it didn’t matter if I remembered or included her, but to please remember June (like the month of June) because, "he loved you SO much and he loved the paper," and of course I did. I figured it was the least I could do under the circum-
stances. She went on to tell me that they’d been married for 47 years! I told her I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to lose the love of your life, someone you’d spent SO much time with. Tears filled her eyes and she thanked me — though there really was no need for that, I just did what anyone else would do in that situation. I sincerely hope she continues to stop by to visit-some do to honor the memory of the one who died, others simply move on. Either way, if there is a lesson we can ALL learn from this it’s to let those we love know what they mean to us each and every day because no one is promised tomorrow. Ask yourself, “If tomorrow never comes will [those you care for] know how much you love them?” What we do know is how different possibly even more difficult our lives would be without them! I know it may be hard to do, family dynamics are complicated, but you can be certain it will definitely be worth any effort you make in the long run! In the meantime, I’d like to ask ALL our readers to keep Shirley and her family in your thoughts prayers so that she can get whatever she needs to get through this difficult time. Thanks in advance for your time, consideration and understanding.
I was told by a customer, a long-time customer, that I should write more positive articles. How much more positive can you get than God’s word? I know for the last month things was very very slow. I also basically knew it was because of an article I’d wrote. Ya see, I stepped on many toes. Even though I don’t make any money, I’m very happy because I know I touched base. I spoke the truth. Many can’t receive it simply because they can’t live it. See, Jesus was crucified because he spoke the truth, John the Baptist was beheaded because he spoke the truth, Peter was hung upside down because he spoke the truth, Martin Luther King was assassinated because he stood and spoke about what was the truth. The truth has to be told, otherwise the great pretender takes over. God says in his word we can’t be lukewarm. Many socalled Christians today are. They wanna praise God but their wallet and pocketbook tells them they can do whatever they like. We get up on Sunday and head for church as if we’re going to praise him when we truly know who our god is. Jesus say in the last days people will say, “Did we not prophesy in your name?” I never knew you says the Lord. “Spit you out.” There were many great men, I had to say Martin because we live in a very twisted country, where things have always been unequal. Thank you Lord, because I know you’re gonna change all that within time. God said in his word that we couldn’t be lukewarm and spend eternity in his kingdom. To all people of Nashville, “If you hate your Christian brothers and sisters because of the color of their skin, YOU ARE LUKEWARM.” Take these words to church with you. Spread the good news. Many have been led astray.
PAGE 18 | September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
VENDOR WRITING
A visit with my sister BY WILLIAM B.
[Editor's Note: This submission by William B. was created out of a recording of a conversation between him and Contributor Staff Writer Hannah Herner. It's been edited for length and clarity.] Well, first of all, I was filmed by Channel 5, not this past Sunday but the Sunday before, at this chicken place on 8th Avenue, the very first one on the right hand side. I was on Channel 5, a little short video. Do they have a new spot? No, it’s not a new spot, I was just waitin’ on the bus. Sometimes I get a donation or sell a paper or two there. I didn’t find out about it until that Monday because one of the workers that works at the Room at the Inn told me all about it. My pastor took me out to see my sister the day before yesterday. It was Monday. And I hadn’t seen her in about three years. She was in the tornado, in Hermitage. So she had to move out of Nashville. And she's taking care of quite a few grandkids. Where does she stay now? She’s in Mount Pleasant with one of her — well, two of her daughters right now, but we can’t say both of them because one of them is trying to dodge a boyfriend. He tried to kill her. Just say
one daughter, April, and my sister Sandra. And a bunch of grandkids. I got to see two that wasn’t even born when I saw her last. I get the urge to start singin’ to get my sister to sing with me, ‘cause we used to sing together back when I was 17. She was also a bit of a dancer, a go-go dancer [laughs]. That visit really lit up my laugh. That took me from out of a real dark spot and into a real bright spot. And when that happened, we had the night to visit and I was so tickled. I hadn’t seen the grandkids in quite a while, I mean I’d been talking to them on the phone. What song did you sing? I sung several! What do you and your sister like to sing together? We sung "Dream" by the Everly Brothers, we sung "Last Kiss," you remember "Last Kiss?" Oh where can my baby be? And I’ve been workin’ on my voice, so I’ve been giving myself voice lessons. And I’ve been able to get maybe three songs now without my laryngitis setting in and plus I let my highs go down a little bit lower, and my lowers go down a little bit lower. And now that I’m with The Contributor, I didn’t know this, too! Hannah, I didn’t know
this — I thought I was 71. I’m older than 71. Yeah, this guy I met was 71 yesterday, he was born in 1949. I was born in 1948. He said, “you can’t be 71, I’m 71.” And he was born in November also, so he knows what he’s talkin’ about, evidently. But I’m 72, goin’ on 73 this year, Thanksgiving day, by the way. That’s something you can put in there. But what I will say about The Contributor… Since I’ve been here with The Contributor — I didn’t know I had been here four years with The Contributor! That’s how much time and, what I — you know, what I forgot over the years, because, I think the older you get, the more things go faster for you. Like, for years, it’s going so fast, it blows my mind. Here we are in August! I mean yesterday it seemed like January to me. So here we are in August, and I got a birthday coming up. I'm gonna be 73, and on Thanksgiving day. I’m going to have a good time that day. I’ve got another lady, she’s helping me do my story, she’s helping me do my story, getting ready to the one for the video for the America‘s Got Talent and the one for the Voice, the next edition of the Voice, if we can get them in there in time. But she’s helped me through most of that, and she thinks I’ve got one hell of a story. And she’s from Sweden. I won’t give her name yet because I don’t know if that’s okay, to give her name. How’s it been going in Berry Hill? Right now, Berry Hill, it ain’t all about the money. I got a lot of people out there. I consider customers and friends who say, “You are amazing! How long have you been doing this?” And I’m gonna tell ‘em! ‘Cause I’m never lost for words. And I wanna show my bodyguard and my puppy off.
I always wanted to say to The Contributor, if I hadn’t have met them, I’d probably be dead. Because I had nothing going on in my life, they had gave me the opportunity to do what I’ve always wanted to do in my life. It was be an entertainer, a salesman. A writer. Never knew I could do all this. If I had have, when I was younger, I probably wouldn’t have ended in so much trouble. And now that I’m with The Contributor, I just brag about it to other people. I kind of testify about it to everybody that I meet and wants to listen. And with The Contributor, what it’s done for me, it’s given me hope, dreams, and so much of my life, I mean, if I need extra money for medicine, I got it. If I need extra food during the month, I’ve got it. Because I take a little bit of the money that I make back into the business. But the Lord has blessed me with the Contributor. Blessed me with Ethos Church. I never want to leave that out either. That’s another one I want to put in my story. Ethos has been so good to me. And my stories? I push the heck out of them when they’re in The Contributor. And people say, “Wow man, 14 years?” Yeah. Coming up on 15 clean. I felt like if I ever let myself fall down like that again, I’ll just wanna die. I mean, that’s how I really feel. If I got back down that bad where I’d have to be back on drugs or streetwise, I just wanna be dead. And I would pray for the Lord to come and get me. I’d do that because of my pain. He’s not listening about the pain. I mean, he’s listening about it, but he’s not listening about coming to get me yet, because he’s getting the angels ready for me to play the spoons up there for them. He’s gathering all the spoons up for the angels for me to teach them how to play (laughing). So how’s your mom?
#HopeMarchesOn Visit SalvationArmyNashville.org to learn more about the hope shared and lives changed in our community.
September 29 - October 13, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19
