It's all about the people

Today was one of the most interesting days of my trip yet. And it had nothing to do with the locations I visited, it was all about the people.  As such, it will also feature far fewer images than I would typically post.

The two top destinations in Memphis are the National Civil Rights Museum and Graceland . I posted yesterday about my visit to the National Civil Rights Museum. I initially thought I would visit Graceland today. However once I looked at the ticket prices , I decided I did not care enough to support that level of greed. The least expensive ticket, that did not even include the mansion, was 50 bucks. There were a few levels, with the most expensive VIP tour topping out at over 200 dollars. Contrast that with, for example, the 10 dollars each I paid to visit the Dylan and Guthrie centers, both places with far more substantive and, to my mind, more interesting archives.

With Graceland off the table, I thought to visit some of the more modest music museums. I wanted to start with the Memphis Rock and Soul Museum . But a basketball game at the arena next door had it closed until the afternoon. So I headed over to its sister museum, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame . It was mostly a collection of costumes and some instruments and other memorabilia with short blurbs about the performers.

I next walked over to the Beltz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art . It was Sunday, so it would not open until noon. While I waited I ended up having brunch at Sage . Sage, a black-owned business, turns out to be THE brunch spot for the African-American community in Memphis. I was lucky to get a seat at the counter, as it was packed, with a line out the door. The food was very good and I got to talk to interesting people on both sides of me.

While I was waiting for the Beltz to open I walked past The Peanut Shoppe next door. The proprietor beckoned me in and we started chatting. He shared that he was Palestinian, but had been in the U.S. for 40 years. He had accumulated several degrees, ranging from civil engineering to architecture to business. While waiting for a green card he ended up in the food service industry, and he ultimately made it his career. He purchased the Peanut Shoppe from the previous owners and has moved locations and continued to improve both the physical venue and the offerings. Among other things, he now imports (by air only!) Middle Eastern pastries and has added them to the menu. As we were chatting he poured me sweet green tea, which is typical of Middle Eastern hospitality. It was clear that the shop was an extension of his home.

At noon, I took my leave to visit the Beltz museum next door. While the glass cases and lighting made photography difficult, I can tell you that both the Asian and Judaic collections were spectacular. I have never seen such intricate carvings in Jade and Ivory. The Judaic collection included both historical and modern pieces, as well as a separate room dedicated to photographs of Holocaust survivors. While pursuing the art, I was also thinking about a further conversation I wanted to have Rida, the Peanut Shoppe proprietor.

I went back and explained my family history and Jewish background. I then asked him if he had an opinion about how the continuing Middle East conflict could be resolved. His answer was not among those I might have expected and took me by surprise. He said that there was no resolution possible by earthly human beings, and only the Messiah would bring peace. My further question was, which Messiah? He clarified that he referred to Jesus Christ the promised savior of the world. Because that is a faith-based belief, I did not have a rejoinder, nor any further place to take the conversation. I listed to what he had to say and we moved on to other more practical topics. I had no expectation that we would necessarily agree, but I was glad we could have a very civilized conversation. Rida is a lovely and kind human being and I was happy to have met him.

I then went back to the Memphis Rock and Soul Museum. This museum had much more substantive exhibits that explained the history of how gospel, blues, soul and country music all influenced what eventually became Rock and Roll.

I then headed back to the Moxy to download and rest for a couple of hours. I was keen to take a break from my cooler fare for dinner and decided to walk over to Flight , listed as a top 100 restaurant in the U.S. As usual, I sat at the bar, intending to order a drink and a couple of appetizers. This turned into one of the most amazing evenings I have ever experienced. I sat down next to Alex and it took about five minutes for us to decide to share some plates. Alex is also road tripping, but unlike me, she is doing it while working fully remotely. Her company produces the software that powers CrimeStoppers . Soon after, Chris and Katie sat on my other side. Chris was on a work trip from Michigan and had just met Katie, currently living and working in Memphis, earlier in the day. In another five minutes we were all besties. A short time later John, originally from Memphis, but now hailing from Chicago, joined the group. Really, we should have moved to a table, but the restaurant was full and there probably was not one available. We had a very enjoyable time chatting about a variety of wide-ranging topics. And mind you, our ages ranged from 30s to 60s. We not-so-jockingly talked about meeting at the same place at some later date. See below for a group photo taken by one of the bartenders. She somehow managed to take the photo with two phones at the same time. I’ve never seen anyone do that, she must get that request frequently. It was truly an amazing experience and a unique evening.

Tomorrow I move on to Nashville.