Yesterday was a wonderful Fall day. I took a journey down a path I have never traveled before. I went to Dahlonega, Ga. Now most folk when you say the name of the city, would sorta look at you funny, and cock their heads to one side, and say" Dahlonega, why in the world did you go there?"
And to be honest, I would have to say, that before going to that quiet little town, I would have said the same thing. Why did I go there?
Well the answer sure does bring various answers to that question, like I originally went there for a concert, but what I actually got from the trip is so much more.
This is a town that has a small college there, it has a town square, with all these quaint little shops, restaurants that have delicious smells that greet you on the sidewalk, and friendly people that remind you that this is what small towns are all about.
Yes, I saw a great concert last nite, and heard two great ladies sing. But I was also reminded that, in towns such as this, lives people that still say hello to you as you walk down the street, towns where, people take pride in it's little small square, and towns where you feel like you just stepped off your own front porch.
Listening to one of my favorite singers was a plus, hearing her tell her cute and funny stories, priceless, and listening to her talented husband accompany her on her acoustic guitar that just catches your attention, makes your leg move in time and rhythm of the music, and gives you such a complete feeling of contentment like nothing else truly can.
Jennifer Daniels is this great artist I speak of, and her equally talented husband Jeff plays the electric guitar and mandolin. And just as they accompany each others musical talents, from your seat, if you pay very close attention, you can equally see how they accompany each others lives. When they are on stage, Jeff watches Jennifer very closely, and sometimes when he is not playing with her he will wander off stage and watch from a seat, and you see Jennifer look for him in the crowd, and a small, faint smile graces her face. And you know, that the music isn't just the only thing they have in common, but you feel the deep respect they have for one another, the love that they share, and the need to be with the other, even if its from a small seat in the back of the building. Jeff is a quiet sorta guy, but you can sense the admiration he has for his singing wife and that he enjoys listening to her play and sing their songs on a deep emotional level.
Sometimes, you have to leave the quiet walls of your home, travel down paths you never thought you would, find these quiet, quaint towns nestled in the mountains to remind you, to.. from one of the opening acts songs... simply..."LIVE LIFE." Sometimes we get caught up in our lives that we forget that we are actually living them. We fall into routines, ruts, and get lost some where down the paths we travel each day. We need a few bumps in the road, winding curvy roads to wake us up.
I for one am awake today, even after very little sleep, the journey was a longer one that normal, and I arrived back at home pretty late yet, my thoughts are alert, my mind set on enjoying life as much as I can, to love those around me fully, and to live as if its my last.. it very well could be.
