On: Growth Through Community

Our lives are marked by transition, and our feet don’t grow roots to tell us when to stay put. At every new season we find ourselves uncertain about what a step in a new direction might mean for us. Maybe we are desperate for change to lift us out of our monotony or afraid we took a wrong step somewhere or disappointed by our careers. Maybe it’s the success-driven culture we are raised in—but sometimes choosing to stay put is the least appealing option. Especially in Jackson, Tennessee.

Rita's Gold

Among a greenhouse full of sprouting and thriving plants and hanging baskets overflowing with carefully attended vines, Rita Randolph meticulously places a cutting of a plant into its own compartment of soil so that it will take root and grow. I am at Morris Nursery on accident, because a warm spring afternoon convinced me I could learn to keep a few plants alive.

Alba: Jackson's New "Third Place"

Alba, the coffee shop that now sits on 112 East Baltimore downtown, follows a string of laughable changes in owners and names. First, there was Starbucks, followed by Green Frog. Green Frog sold their business to Ugly Mug, and Ugly Mug closed shop within a few months. The important thing, though, is that there is a really good local shop there, and it is celebrating one year in business.