Let The Rough Side Drag, Let The Smooth Side Show

My soul's been feeling a bit ragged lately so today I ignored everything and took myself off.  I drove the ten miles of snaking swirling roads down to the bottom of a bowl our mountains make and into a two block town called Hot Springs.  It's claim to fame is that the Appalachian Trail runs through it.  Locals know it for the outdoor hot-tubs that sit on the edge of the French Broad River.  On a cool summer evening you can rent one and sit as it fills with hot spring water, listening to the river talk and watching the fireflies light up the trees.  There is also a large grassy field dotted with huge old oaks  and every year this time the Bluff Mountain Music Festival happens.  It's a hidden joy.  The people who come love their mountains fiercely and the Hipster vibe that has taken over Asheville and is encroaching on my little town hasn't made it this far yet.  The people gather with their lawn chairs and sit in the shade, eating barbeque, listening to old time mountain music and dancing.  Everyone dances, whether they know how or not, no matter how old or young they are.  Daddies with little girls, ten year olds and teen agers, and couples in their eighties who circle the floor with complete ease.  Ninety year old women sing the old ballads and tell stories about the mountains and folks who have been playing together for forty-five years add a twenty year old and keep on playing. 


I set my chair in the shade of an oak and settle down, tipping my head back to find the edge of that deep green bowl that we are in, letting the twin fiddles soar over my head, and my soul sinks to the ground.  The edges smooth a bit.  Why don't I come here more often?  Why did I stop learning the mandolin?  And oh, I miss dancing!  Still, those things don't feel like a critique, only thoughts, good ideas to consider once again.  Times like these, I love these old old mountains and the life they contain and have sheltered all these years. 


Coming home I am reminded of an old Jesse Winchester song: 


It's a good thing the sea's not dry
Such a good thing that cows don't fly
What a good thing to make a joyful noise
It's a good thing that beds don't talk
Such a good thing that chairs can't walk
What a good thing that God made girls and boys
Let the rough side drag
Let the smooth side show
While you pull that load
Everywhere you go
It's a good that the air is free
Such a good thing that a man can see
What a good thing the Lord above has done
It's a good thing to be young and strong
Such a good thing we're not old for long
What a good thing that making love is fun
Let the rough side drag
Let the smooth side show
While you pull that load
Everywhere you go
Let the rough side drag
Let the smooth side show
While you pull that load
Everywhere you go
While you pull that load
Everywhere you go
While you pull that load
Everywhere you go