Tell me Tennessee DUers...about Chatanooga.

[bklyncowgirl]

Could a liberal librarian from Brooklyn and a Caseworker from North Jersey find happiness living & working near Chatanooga?

My husband and I are considering purchasing a business in the Chatanooga area. This would be a big move for us. We're both civil servant types from New York & North Jersey.

We were down there recently to take a look at the place and saw a lot to like in the city. The business we're looking at is around 20 miles outside town--beautiful area by the way but rural. We met some pretty cool people who were enthusiastic about the city's prospects.

I'm just wondering if the cultural divide would be so great that we'd be hounded out of town. What is that area like and would we be able to find at least a few kindred spirits?

Al Gore and Johnny Cash are from Tennessee--that's a plus.

[nam78_two]

1. Heh we are in the same boat as you :)!

I have been wondering the same thing of late. My boyfriend and I are moving to TN (Nashville)-he is leaving his job and going back to grad school and I am finishing up grad school and taking up a job.

We are card-carrying liberals and have been living in super-blue Ann Arbor for the past 6-7 years and have never lived in the south. We are wondering what its going to be like.

We are also an interracial couple and had some interesting experiences one time we were down south.
I already know that Virginia Abernethy (a white separatist prof.) is at VU, which is where I have a position and he is going to school.


So.....yeah I am really wondering

[H2O]

2. Don't know about Chattanooga

But Nashville is fine; Davidson County pretty much was a John Kerry territory in the last election. There are plenty of interracial couples around; I doubtthat would be an issue.

Of course, there will be plenty from the other side as well. I happen to sing with the chairman of the Repubs in Sumner Co. (that's the next county northeast of Nashville's Davidson County, btw). I don't hold that against him though.

Interestingly enough, I got an email from our choir director about last weeks's hymns that I thought was interesting.

Here's how it went

Dear Friends,

After hearing less-than-favorable responses from several in the choir and congregation about the "tampered with" second stanza of last Sunday's middle hymn, "This Is My Father's World," I thought I'd offer some background on the hymn and its selection.

By the way, the offending phrase from the second stanza is: "He trusts us with his world, to keep it clean and fair -- all earth and trees, all skies and seas, all creatures everywhere."

The hymn was written by Maltbie Babcock -- pastor of New York's Brick Presbyterian Church and successor to Henry Van Dyke (of "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" fame). If you want to read more about Maltbie, go to: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/b/a/b/babcock_md.htm

The person who did the tampering is Mary Babcock Crawford -- presumably Maltbie's granddaughter, inasmuch as he died in 1901 and she was born in 1909. All that was altered were the final three lines of stz. 3 below.) To the best of my knowledge, this revision occurred in the mid-to-late '70s -- perhaps around the time when gas "sky-rocketed" to 60-cents a gallon! Remember year-round daylight saving time? 55 mph speed limit? Downsizing of cars by the "Big Three?"

"This Is My Father's World" was one of several hymns I suggested to Mickey for his selection to tie in with Sunday's sermon, "What Would Jesus Say to 'Big Oil'?" The message I got from Mickey's sermon was, "We are responsible for how we use God's creation. We have control (to a certain degree) of how much things cost. We have a choice." My inference: "As a steward of God's creation, what choices will I make?"

As I now prepare a list of hymn suggestions for, "What Would Jesus Say to Dan Brown (Da Vinci Code guy)?" pray that I may find another one that gets us thinking/talking!

Here's the complete original Babcock hymn:

==========================

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.

This is my Father’s world, dreaming, I see His face.
I ope my eyes, and in glad surprise cry, “The Lord is in this place.”
This is my Father’s world, from the shining courts above,
The Beloved One, His Only Son,
Came—a pledge of deathless love.

This is my Father’s world, should my heart be ever sad?
The lord is King—let the heavens ring. God reigns—let the earth be glad.
This is my Father’s world. Now closer to Heaven bound,
For dear to God is the earth Christ trod.
No place but is holy ground.

This is my Father’s world. I walk a desert lone.
In a bush ablaze to my wondering gaze God makes His glory known.
This is my Father’s world, a wanderer I may roam
Whate’er my lot, it matters not,
My heart is still at home.

==========================

At another time, I'll offer a discourse on why I believe we become so upset when encountering hymns/creeds that are altered from what we learned as children...

SC

Interestingly enough, Mickey's sermon this week pretty much had a similar theme to it, although the sermon title was "What would Jesus say to Dan Brown"

At any rate, there are some bright spots in this "red" state. I hope you that you too will find them.
O8)

[nam78_two]

3. Thanks for sharing that :)

Thats an interesting story!
I am hopeful that we will enhoy Nashville too.

[H2O]

4. You're welcome

Glad I could help.

[Flirtus]

7. Do you mean Vandy?

Vandy is a great place for you. Big enough to have some of everything, small enough that people have to notice and 'get along'. Also big enough that football is more important than politics sometimes. I have a lot of friends with children just going off to college, Vandy seems to offer something for everyone. This one guy went there a couple of years ago, and found out he's gay, which we all knew, but he had no idea, so Vanderbilt is really helping him in a way that high school didn't.

The interracial couples I know in Chattanooga are all professionals, like doctors and lawyers, and democrats, so you'll fit whatever preconceptions are out there.

My experience with Nashvillians other than collegiate is limited but I'd say all conservative, our current senators are from the same Nashville suburb, and where I work we have a Nashville Rep, and he's the only guy in the company who is 'R' (out of about 12).

[4_TN_TITANS]

5. Ya'll come on down......

There's lots of religious fundies around, but plenty of bright spots as well. People have become much more accepting of outsiders over the last twenty years.

Chattanooga is one of my family's favorite vacation destinations. I've raved for years about how nicely it's been cleaned up and turned to 'family oriented' (but I'm keeping quiet about that at least until Corker-R loses his senate bid).

Tennessee can be quirky - in my rural county (Jackson) it's impossible to get elected unless you are a Democrat. 20 miles away in the next county, it's exactly the opposite. I'd suggest contacting the Dem party chair in Chattanooga and asking about certain areas, etc.

[Flirtus]

6. I'm a native

It is beautiful here, the weather has been icky this summer, downtown is fun and getting better.

The Public Library is (at least was) a bastion of democrats; since it's city agency and there's lately been a lot of city employee turnover, the current staff is not people I know. Social services are always full of liberals, it's unavoidable.

Nah, you wouldn't be hounded out of town. Twenty miles out, you'd be more likely to meet democrats, although my cousin who lives 'off the grid' on the side of some mountain is a coke snorting conservative. So you just can't tell. Stereotypes are no use here.

Aren't you worried about peak oil? We have no public transportation off the main roads in town.

[tnlefty]

8. 20 miles out of town in which direction?

I know that I'm being rather nosy, but I want details!!! I'm out in the county between Chattanooga and Cleveland in what used to be a rural community until development, so-called anyway, forced its way out here.

Find us kindred spirits and we'll keep anyone from hounding you out of town! You'll be in for somewhat of a cultural shock and I won't lie about that.

[Geek_Girl]

9. I live in Chattanooga

and I really like it. I'm very liberal but haven't had any problems with the utlra conservatives around here. They're kind of naive but very polite.

[akwapez]

10. I live in Chattanooga also.

There are certainly some drawbacks and many people who do not understand, and do not want to understand, any thoughts other than their own. But, for the most part it is a great place to live with very friendly people.
And the more liberal thinkers we get down here, the better off we will be, so PLEASE come.