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The Goat Farm,Car Accidents and Friendship. By Meredith Hesse

I really do have strong intentions when I set out to blog for My Yoga Scene.  I know in my mind what I am going to write about and I head towards that goal, but sometimes, especially lately, the universe spins me off into another direction.

The blog for this week was and still is about the AMAZING show put on by our beloved yogi artist, Lana Vogestad (Let’s Talk About Hot Yoga Part 2), along with two crazy talented musicians, Dave Nelson, trombonist and Marlon Patton, drummer, at the Goat Farm.photo 2 (5) (1)

I need to talk about the Goat Farm for just a minute.  If you have never been, you need to stop by.  It is an artists colony in the middle of Atlanta.  There are some industrial buildings that house artists studios, theatre/dance spaces and there are actual goats and chickens that live there as well.  It’s this amazing oasis in the middle of the city.  I want to live here.

Now that we have established the awesomness of the venue, I want to take some time to talk about the show itself.  I have had the opportunity to view Lana’s work online, but not in person, so I have been excitedly waiting for this show to happen.  The time frame had been adjusted a couple of times, (Dave tours with The National, so working with his schedule), but finally all systems were go and I have to say it was worth the wait.  There are few shows that actually hit me and this one did.  The combination of Lana’s immersive installation and the musical stylings of Dave Nelson and Marlon Patton worked together to create a beautiful, moving evening.  The best way to describe it is (and I had this discussion with many people at the show) like having a perfect high without the drugs.  Wow, right?  To be able to create an amazing experience like that comes down to talent, and these three people are definitely blessed with it.  I just have to say thank you for the evening.  It is so rare to see true talent and when you do, you need to acknowledge it.

Now for the slightly off topic portion of this post, car accidents and friendship.  When Lana mentioned that she was having her show, I knew I wanted to gather a small entourage of support to be in attendance.  I got my super, awesome entourage together and we were all able to enjoy the show together.  If you have ever gathered a small/large group of people together to attend an event, you know there is carpooling, picking up from Marta (if you’re from the ATL), etc., and for some inane reason I volunteered to be a driver.  For those of you who are reading this post and who have driven with me, you know I am lackadaisical about some driving rules.  The arrows in a parking lot are just suggestions to me, sometimes stop signs become yield signs, and a red light looks green.  I actually have a friend who breaks up with women for their terrible driving skills, not making this up, and this is why aforementioned friend and I will never date.

Now, getting to the Goat Farm was a breeze.  The only misshap was almost hitting two lovely ladies in the parking lot where I picked my companions up.  The nice thing about having passengers is that the sharp intake of breath lets you know when danger is approaching, or when you should look at the road.  I was looking at Google Maps.

We arrive a the Goat Farm, get a great parking space, enjoy show, head back to car for drop off after the show.  The drop offs go brilliantly.  One goes back to the yoga studio, another to the Midtown Art Marta Station.  Everyone is safe and I start to head home. I get a call from my best friend that he is at the Lawrence, delicious restaurant with vegan options, with his date and would I like to join them for a drink. Of course!  They were both at the show and I was still buzzing from the experience.  Perfect.

Well, the Lawrence is on Juniper in Atlanta.  This street is a one way street and I turned onto it from 14th thinking that I ALWAYS have the right of way.  Wrong.  That’s when the accident happended.  Funny thing about this accident is that the guy who hit me is friends with my best friend, who was at the Lawrence, right across from the accident.  We also have another friend who just happens to live around the corner and was out walking that evening.   As I am calling 911 and getting in touch with the nicest operator ever, we are all making this connection.  The police officer shows up, and he is lovely too, gets our information and hands me a ticket.  This is where the story could have gone one of two ways.  Option one, I am sad head home and spend the rest of the evening bummed out.  Option two, take my best friend, his date and my new friends I have made from the car accident to Gilbert’s for karaoke.  Obviously, option two.

I am going to try to tie this up into a neat little bundle of feel good.  I went out last evening expecting to have a wonderful evening with my friends at an amazing art show.  That happened.  Now instead of looking at the accident as a bad thing,( and really I do not have the expendable income for the ticket, deductible etc.), I choose to take the good out of the situation, a new friend, amazing karaoke.  As we enter the holiday season and the new year, start to think about flipping your perspective.  When you encounter what you think is a bad situation, try to find the good.  The shift in energy will change your life.  Remember, we create our reality.  That’s so powerful and so true.  You are an incredible being.  Have a wonderful Christmas and an amazing New Year.  See you in 2014.

Meredith Hesse :: Co-Editor, Community Lifestyle Editor, Events Director Meredith Hesse

Meredith teaches yoga, pilates, and private ballet and yoga instruction in Atlanta. When she is not teaching, she is practicing either at home or at one of the amazing yoga studios in the communities she discovers on her travels throughout the country. Meredith is also the East Coast Whole Sale Manager for KiraGrace, a women’s yoga apparel company. She cherishes her time with her her son, and satisfies her curiosities of life through reading, writing, and taking advantage of opportunities to explore the world. One of Meredith’s passions is venturing into communities to dine at local eateries. She shares her food reviews on the My Yoga Scene blog. Meredith loves being part of the global yoga community and enjoys planning events the help bring the growing community together. If you are interested in community lifestyle guest blogging, interviews, promotions, or event sponsorship and hosting, please reach out to Meredith here:  meredithhesse@myyogascence.com

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