Last week Gene, Jessica(our granddaughter) and I went to Nashville. Jessica and I were attending the Lifework 2.0 Seminar on Thursday. Gene was able to find an old high school friend that everyone said they couldn’t find in Franklin. Thursday night we went to downtown Nashville for dinner and a little karaoke. Now we didn’t know anything about any of the bars in downtown. Jessica got on her iphone and read the reviews and chose Lonnie’s Western Room.
Once we were seated in the club, Gene looked at the young man on the stage singing and asked me if I thought he was missing an arm. The young man had on a jacket and it appeared that the jacket sleeve on the right side was tucked into the pocket. I told him that I thought so. After the young man sat back down Gene went over to him. As soon as Klay saw that Gene is also missing a part of an arm, he lit up and acted like he and Gene has been friends forever.
For those that don’t know, Gene was born missing the lower part of his left arm. It is natural to him and he does nothing to hide it. Shortly after Klay and Gene met and spoke it was Gene’s turn to sing. There weren’t many people singing, so Klay’s turn came just a few people later. When he got on the stage this time, there was no jacket and it was quite obvious to everyone that the lower part of his right arm is missing. Klay told Gene that he lost it in an auto accident when he was 17.
Jessica commented to us later that it was amazing to watch how Klay’s comfort with his arm seemed to change before our very eyes. Once he was on stage without his jacket, he was smiling and line dancing with his family. He came and introduced himself to Jessica and I. When we left it was hugs for everyone.
Klay lives in North Carolina. He was visiting Nashville with his family. I thought to myself as soon as I knew that Klay was missing part of an arm “In all of Nashville, what are the chances of meeting up with another one armed person from out-of-town in the same bar.” Was it providence or just coincidence that we all ended up in the same place that evening? These sorts of events are the ones that make “The Glamour of the Road” so special.
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the glamour of the road, franklin tn, nashville, lifework 2.0 seminar, amputee, north carolina, providence
