Hometown Wanderlust is a brand new, adventurous, weekly blog featuring one girl’s experiences with food, music, shopping, biking and life in general around Dublin GA. This week, Dublin GA’s favorite redhead experiences a Friday night full of feeling.
Friday Night
Friday night in a small town can go many different ways. This particular weekend’s events were on the upswing for me. Sometimes I feel I live for music (and food) and on this particular Friday night, Dublin GA did not disappoint!
First Stop
There seriously could not be anything better than live music except live music for a good cause. Each year Relay For Life touches on both while bringing community together by raising awareness to Find A Cure For Cancer. Tonight is that night. As it happens it is also First Friday downtown. A night each month during the spring and summer full of music, food, friends…
The work week has finally ended. We’re loaded up, friends and I and headed to the local high school track where the festivities are already in full swing, though we have timed ourselves perfectly. We will not miss the first performance!
The field is buzzing with activity, rows of tents set up each displaying their rendition of this year’s theme…Lights, Camera, Action! Intoxicating scents waft through the air, the grills are fired up! Heading to purchase our luminaries, we stop and chat with friends and wander the booths. We have some creative folks in this town! It seems everyone is out, it is a beautiful night. We walk the track side by side with other groups of friends, couples, families, individuals each one walking in memory and honor of loved ones, their names written boldly on the luminaries lining the track. The flames in the small white bags dance for those that won and flicker for those that fought with strength and passion yet did not overcome.
The Feeling
The sun is drifting down, the music is cranking up! We find our spot center of the stage. Blanket spread, snacks unpacked shoes kicked off. Friends all around. There’s a warm buzz in the air. Music floating above us lifting towards the peeping stars. Is there anything better? I sit back taking in the scenes around me. Kids are playing, there’s excited conversations between friends, folks continually rounding the track paying their respects and celebrating their triumphs. A group of teenagers on their own blanket in the far corner of the field giggling among themselves.
What terrible things sometimes tear us apart but what beauty can we find if we search. I don’t even know half or a third of the people gathered but there is a bond, a celebration of life and memories made. A unity of purpose and a drawing together. To me, this is beautiful. Life illuminated.
To be continued…
In memoriam of my dear Uncle.
For more on magical, musical nights in Dublin GA visit https://visitdublinga.org/events/first-friday-concert-series/ and https://visitdublinga.org/events/dubjam/
