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Welcome back. Last week I shared the Behind The Scenes Process of Producing a Music Video in Kingsport. This week I want to tell you about four waves I got before 9AM on a Thursday morning, and why small gestures like that might be the most important infrastructure we have.
In today's post:
Four Waves: What I learned loading my car on a Thursday morning
Trust is Infrastructure: Why communities that wave perform better
This Week: Valentine's events and opportunities around town
Try This: One small gesture to add to someone's day
FOUR WAVES BEFORE 9AM
I was sitting in my kitchen Thursday morning, coffee still warm, reading Jeff Fleming's latest piece on Kingsport Spirit about Fairacres and the lasting value of well-planned neighborhoods.
The article's about my neighborhood. How Earle Sumner Draper designed these curving streets back in 1926 with the same care he gave to places like Myers Park in Charlotte and Sequoyah Hills in Knoxville. Places where people wanted to be. Where design wasn't just about lot lines and setbacks, but about creating the kind of environment where neighbors actually become neighbors.
I finished the article, grabbed my work bag, and headed out to load up the car.
I live on the corner at the main entrance to Fairacres, so I see everyone coming and going.
That's when I got four waves before 9AM.
Clayton Kilgore, my friend who owns a pharmacy over in Gray. Chris Bulle, a financial advisor. Steve Edwards, a software architect. And Marshall, my son, waving goodbye from the window as I backed out of the driveway.
All of them heading to work (and playtime for Marshall). All of them taking half a second to raise a hand.
Four people. Four waves. Not one of them required.
But they did it anyway.
Here's the thing about small gestures:
In an era where we're all doom-scrolling and convinced the world's coming apart at the seams, these tiny moments of recognition are the actual fabric that holds a place together.
Jeff's article talks about how good design adds lasting value because it creates conditions for community. He's right. But the design only matters if people show up for each other in the space it creates.
Hey Kingsport has reached over 100,000 engagements in its brief three-week existence, and I think I know why: people are starving for connection to their place. They want to know what's happening in their hometown. They want to feel like they're part of something real, not just another ZIP code in some algorithm's database.
This isn't just feel-good talk. Communities where people actually know each other, where trust is high and neighbors show up for one another, perform better across the board. Better health outcomes. More economic resilience. Kids do better in school. People are happier. The social fabric matters more than we think.
Trust is infrastructure.
And you don't build it solely with million-dollar projects. You build it with four waves before 9AM.
THIS WEEK TRY THIS
Add one small gesture to someone's day.
Wave at a neighbor you usually just nod at. Learn the name of the person who makes your coffee. Text a friend you've been meaning to check on. Hold the door an extra three seconds for the person behind you.
Not because it'll change the world.
But because it might change your small corner of it.
And honestly? Your small corner is exactly where the world changes anyway.
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STORIES I’M WORKING ON
Kingsport Food Truck Junction
I've been thinking about this for a while: what does a full shift actually look like inside one of our local food trucks?
Not the glamorous version you see on social media. The real deal. Loading up at 5 AM, prepping stations, working the rush, running out of ingredients, dealing with equipment that breaks at the worst possible time, shutting down after a 12-hour day.
So sometime this spring or summer, I'm going to work a full day in a local food truck and document the whole thing. The question is: which one?
I'm looking for a truck where the owners would be game to let me shadow them, get in the way, ask too many questions, and probably slow down service while I figure out how anything works. Bonus points if you've got a story about why you started the business or what keeps you going when it's 95 degrees and the fryer's acting up.
Know a food truck owner who'd be up for this? Hit reply and let me know. I want to tell the real story of what it takes to feed this town.
Beyond that, I've got a full slate through the end of the year: riding KATS for a week, following a Nashville recording session, climbing stairs for the 9/11 Memorial, covering Fun Fest's medallion hunt, and documenting everything from the Santa Train to the Christmas parade.
If you've got other stories worth telling, I'm listening.
WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK
Valentine's Paint & Sip at Brushstrokes n More - Friday, February 14
Paint your own masterpiece while enjoying wine and good company. Reserve your spot here.
Valentine's Gellyball Games - Friday, February 14
Looking for something different this Valentine's Day? Gellyball of East TN is hosting special Valentine's events. Because nothing says romance like soft gel blasters.
Northeast Tennessee Hiring Expo - Wednesday, February 19, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
MeadowView Conference Center. If you're job hunting or hiring, this is where you need to be. More info at netnhiringexpo.com.
QUICK BITES
Dark Chocolate Mousse at The Crumbum
Valentine's Treats: Urban Brews & Creamery has Valentine's pastries ready to sweeten up your weekend.
Dark Chocolate Mousse: The Crumbum is featuring a dark chocolate mousse special for Valentine's Day.
Dinner Date: Momma D's is running a Valentine's dinner special if you're looking for a place to take someone out.
WHAT I NEED FROM YOU
This newsletter works best when it's a conversation. If you know a story that needs to be told, a person doing something interesting, or a place in Kingsport that matters to you, send it my way. Every documentary, every feature, every post starts with someone saying "you should look into this."
That's it for this week. Thanks for trusting me with your inbox. Let's tell some stories.
Talk soon,
Ryan