People in Nashville are continuing to recover from the flood that hit back in May. Many will be rebuilding homes and business for months to come. Two stories came to light from opposite ends of the emotional spectrum though that somewhat closed the story on the flood.
The Grand Ole Opry returns to its home at the Opry House tonight. The show is sold out and an incredible line up of artists are scheduled to perform. Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Martina McBride, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Josh Turner and Jason Aldean are some of the contemporary artists scheduled to appear along with many of legendary performers that have been members for decades. It will be a night of celebration for the Opry and the community. In many ways the Opry returning home marks the end of the recovery from the flood. This event will bring what a lot of people call "closure".
On the other side of town though, there is closure without the happy ending. Just yesterday the body of Danny Tomlinson was found in the Harpeth River. Mr. Tomlinson had been missing since he was swept downstream during the flood. His family and friends have spent hours and days time and again searching the river hoping to find his body. His sister was the one who found him. Today Metro Police positively identified the body.
What an odd coincidence; these two stories from the same town. In a way they both mark an end to the flood recovery. One is a story of happiness and history. The other is a story of loss and sadness. Even though it is believed that Mr. Tomlinson was the last person still unaccounted for from the flood, there's still a long way to go in some of these neighborhoods.
I hope that everyone is happy the Opry is back home. I'm a big fan of the institution and its place in American music history. I just also hope that all the families still mourning their losses can one day celebrate in their own way.
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