The Great Greyhound Adventure - Tennessee

Day 1
1-18-2017

9:55 p.m.
Greenville, TN Greyhound Station

Sleep has become elusive.  Stops every hour involve the lights being cast for all of us fishies to catch.  Life on the road is tricky. I feel that I'm gonna have a rough night...

11:45 p.m.
Knoxville, TN

The bus driver told us we had an hour, so I figured stretching my legs and whetting my thirst would be the best course of action.  After we disembarked and left the bus for a much-needed nightly service cleaning, someone couldn't hold it and pissed on the floor in the middle of the bus, thank the heavens I was lucky enough to sit in the back, I took a walk down the hill from the Greyhound station because I've heard that Knoxville is a cool city.  I found a cute downtown area, with a lively nightlife scene and bars peppered here and there.  I'll have to return with Annie when everything is open.

Also, good news, I was only propositioned by one working lady!  She was a young-ish brunette with wavy hair that was still air-drying, wearing loose blue jeans and a black t-shirt, hanging back by the door in the shadows of an apartment building's stoop, smoking on a cigarette that burned way too low, in fact, all I could see was its yellow filter that she was still sucking on.

"Hey, you need something?" she asked. 

"Sure, I need a drink," I said, smiling and trying to be cordial because I knew I was in the South, all the while the mental gears were working for what this lady wanted, you can take the boy out of Jersey...

"Oh, there's some bars down there," pointing down the street that was lit with the romantic glow of streetlights and dark nights.  "You got a smoke?"  

"Nah, I don't smoke."

She asked,"OK, well, where you going?" and she gave me the slightest grin, one that I bet had worked on hundreds of guys, from her father, siblings, teachers, and bosses all the way to her paramours, and then it all made sense.  

I bet she thought I was an easy mark, as I was walking down from the Greyhound station in a bright red Northface jacket and bookbag.  We were the only two souls in the world at that point, and I had been up past my bedtime, so I didn't realize she was looking for some work.

"Nah, I'm good.  Thanks."  At the time, I thanked her for wanting to help me out, I suppose, but more importantly, I thank her now for the experience and giving me something to write about.  I wish her good luck and much success!

Day 2

1-19-2017 

7:00 a.m.
Memphis, TN

We're all going somewhere, but the passengers and company you keep are vitally important.  

I'm sitting in the Greyhound Terminal after a night devoid of slumber and a lap around the station itself. People are starting their morning routines, brushing their teeth, drinking coffee, smoking their morning joints, and I'm looking out of the window at the clouds of pot smoke wafting from the occupants of parked cars and swirls of cigarette smoke dancing and spinning each other in the misty, rainy air.