Cari Griffith

“Follow your passion,” is such a frequently repeated bit of advice we get told by the world around us. As we grow older, however, society feels a bit more restricting and tends to contradict these words. They divide our aspirations into two categories: “Acceptable” and “When Pigs Fly.” No role was too small, but so many aspirations seemed too big to chase after.

JKSN. If you know, you know.

You also probably know if you live in West Tennessee because those four letters have been seen often on t-shirts over the past year. JKSN is Jackson minus the vowels and a silent “c.” There’s no room for passivity or wasted space with this brand. There’s no need for vowels, either. Vowels are melodious and can stretch words without necessity. Consonants are sharp and strong like the letters on the shirt and the city they represent. JKSN. Jackson. If you know, you know.

There are plenty of conversations about what art is and isn’t, who it is and isn’t for. I’m interested in this conversation, but I can’t answer that question, unless I answer it for myself. This September, I painted a mural that is now one of the first things to greet you when you arrive in downtown Jackson. Nestled just past Grubb’s Grocery and the Jackson Walk on North Highland, it’s a bright and idyllic scene, and I’m not oblivious to the fact that it’s an even more idealistic message: Love your neighborhood.

What bizarre days we’re living in right now, friends. Never in remembered history – my 91-year-old grandmother couldn’t even recall a time such as this – have we been asked to hunker down at home for the health and safety of ourselves and our community. There is a lot of uncertainty and stress revolving around this situation, but I’m typically one to look for the silver lining. One thing that has really struck me about this crazy and unexpected time is how it has forced innovation and fostered creativity in people. From business owners to parents, folks are discovering new ways to connect, to promote, to teach and learn, to shop, and much more. Nothing really looks the same in our daily activities, but life must go on. It’s pretty amazing how adaptable we can be when we have to.

At the fringes of Natchez Trace State Park, passersby wouldn’t have an inkling of thought to wonder what is being built just down the dirt drive leading into the woods. It’s completely unassuming, and for at least three bumps in the road, I’m not not sure if I’ve arrived in the right place—until a bouncy Rhodesian Ridgeback pup comes galloping up the road, barking to signal my approach. Ranger gives a couple sniffs to the air and a cautionary bark to make sure I’m not an intruder, then happily licks me head to toe.

Winding through valleys and hills, small towns and big cities, rivers have played a crucial role in molding the landscape of Tennessee. A land rich in biodiversity, the many lakes and rivers that make up this portion of the country tell a fascinating story of traditions, cultures, and creativity. While bumping along on gravel back roads in Benton County, it’s easy to feel a complete disconnect from any sort of link to the world beyond Tennessee.

Why do we create monuments to the past? What is it about physical reminders—be they statues or plaques—that move us? Why do we feel the need to travel to the places of great historical events and walk the same ground? I am struck by the words of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, the hero of Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg: “In great deeds, something abides. On great fields, something stays.”

Don’t find yourself empty-handed this Mother’s Day! Jackson has dozens of excellent local shops to explore, many of which are run by women. If you’re stumped on what Mom would truly appreciate this year, check out this gift guide for ten one-of-a-kind ideas from female-run businesses we have featured in our journal and on our blog.

“We are ‘be the change you want to see’ kind of people. Ultimately, we can complain about what is not available to us in rural West Tennessee or we can choose to change it.” This is Katie Weatherford’s heart behind Retro Coffee Bar, West Tennessee’s newest coffee option that is on the move and popping up at events, weddings, and festivals. Based in Selmer, Katie and her husband Jake have teamed up with couple Matthew and Sarah Moore to create the delicious coffee they crave, without all of the hassle of attempting a full storefront in a small town.

While perusing the West Tennessee Farmers’ Market, it would be hard to pass by the mountain of deep green vegetables and neon radishes of Rose Creek Farms, owned by Ray and Ashley Tyler. Their farm is nestled in a valley in Selmer, Tennessee, with a little over one acre of active farming land. With the help of high tunnels and row covers, they’re able to extend the typical season barriers to grow deliciously tender greens and veggies all year round.

I slipped my hands into my jacket pockets and stepped out into the cool, not-quite-wintry February afternoon. It was a pleasant Thursday on the University of Memphis Lambuth campus, and I was in need of a good walk among the trees before I began my afternoon Spanish class. Ever since I can remember, nature has always been an escape for me.

Looking to grow your green thumb a bit this spring and summer? Check out these local organizations you can connect with to learn about gardening alongside other community members.

It seems quite contradictory to write a piece on why people should stay in Jackson on the eve of our move to Nashville. After eight years of choosing to stay, the decision to leave didn’t come easily, and I certainly put up a fight. However, I had to come to terms with the fact that sometimes a dream is for a season, and it’s okay for dreams to develop towards other places. You don’t have to abandon a sense of “place” once you move.

The garden is a block away from the café, a small oasis of green amidst the severe office buildings and cloudy gray-scale urban landscape that makes up downtown Jackson. It doesn’t draw attention to itself, and many pedestrians walk quickly by without even noticing it, busy with their phones or their thoughts or their plans to hurry on to something, somewhere, sometime.