Being unhoused or just plain tired is a condition many of us have experienced and sometimes requires an immediate fix. That feeling of walking long distances with no rest, or carrying heavy bags with no relief in sigh. That immediate fix is a place to rest. That seems like a simple enough order to fill, but not in and around Downtown Nashville. It is a very challenging order to say the least.
After Church Street Park was first opened there was a big revitalization of Church Street itself, including installing flower planters and black iron benches from 8th and Church St. all the way down to 5th and Church. These were ideal resting places for those of us who were weary or had been walking around downtown like so many of us had done on a daily basis.
A couple of these benches at 5th and Church had become the temporary “office” for The Contributor in its infancy before we tried Starbucks and ultimately the Downtown Presbyterian Church. As time progressed, these benches were slowly removed from their locations one or two at a time until now there are only a couple (or maybe just one) at 8th and Church.
No more resting for the weary. Many businesses have even put up steel spikes with tips on them to discourage folks from resting against the building while their feet are planted on the public sidewalk. (Some homemade wooden benches have begun to appear around downtown and at some MTA bus stops, however.)
So where can a body get some rest? The Mission Day Room or Room in the Inn (no sleeping at Room in the Inn). It’s very difficult for many of us to get any quality rest without being disturbed or harassed in some way, shape or form. I long for the day when we can all get some rest.
Paul Simon’s American Tune from 1973 says, “I’m just weary to my bones … all I’m trying is to get some rest.”