The Natives are Here

 As I write this I sit comfortably on a seat in a corner table inside of Starbucks near Downtown Asheville.  Jazz music is playing on the store speakers and the wonderful people of this town parade in and out with complacent self-esteem.  There is a peaceful quality to the natives here.  They aren’t in any rush to get anywhere.  The way they aspire through their fashion flair speaks volumes of their grounding energy.  This place exudes a sense of self and individuality I haven’t witness in many places.  Even the workers – “baristas” take their time with passing eloquence as they prepare each cup of java or tea. It seems it is all in the art of allowing the moment to take its course, rather than pushing and shoving it with resistance.  The people are just like the brewing of coffee or tea…they take their time in the “now” without truly rushing the process.  It’s all in the comfort of ease.  The rhythm seems to move to the jazz music  – a melody that dances throughout the streets of Asheville.I can’t remember the exact moment I felt at home in this little gem of a town.  The first time we came was May 3, 2010.  Two months later we were living up here.  I think it was immediate.  We came into downtown to eat while staying at the motel we now own.  I never seem to fit anywhere other than the country side of Ireland.  Here I felt that sense of finding my ground again.  I now joke that I am a high-class hippie:  I like showers, perfume, heels and indoor comfort.  But a part of me has acquired that demeanor of “whatever ” (on most days).  It’s difficult for family and friends to understand since they knew me before I became a native to this magical land.  I have been countryfied.Asheville is composed of people who have come to visit and found themselves being called to move here.  It’s magnetic.  There is a sense of belonging, loving, and nurturing in this earthly civilization.  These natives know that this is the real world.  Everything out there is not!  But then again Western North Carolina is mystical with all the natural elements of mountains and waterfalls.I hope you come here, if you haven’t already, and witness firsthand the love from this deeply rooted community I get to call home.  It’s not just the arts or nature.  It is the people that draw you in with their welcoming smiles.   Asheville is definitely a happy place!