"Knoxville Center"

Farmers Market!!!!!! Farmer's Market is one of my favorite Knoxville activities. I love seeing all of the local vendors with their wares displayed for all to see under the glow of red, blue, and white tents, pitched in two parallel rows along Market Square!!! Today it is warm with a pleasant breeze. Everyone is outside!!! (myself included). Mothers walk babies in strollers. College kids walk their puppies. Musicians strum and sing on street corners. Writers sip lattes while ingesting inspiration. Business owners open their doors wide, ushering onlookers into their shops. Amidst the rows of tents you can find fresh salsa, fresh flowers, fresh green beans, freshly made skirts, fresh, FRESH FRESH EVERYTHING!!! and it's all locally made and grown and organic!!!

As i perused the market, i saw a European man biking along the side walk behind the tents. His hat held in wisps of blonde hair. It was Shippy!!! I can remember the first day Shippy came to Knoxville. I was stopping in at Vagabondia (now Fizz) a local boutique where i used to work to visit my friend Ellie. She was hired while i was in South Africa. Upon my return, Ellie helped me get a job at another boutique on the Square known as Reruns. We would stop in and see each other on our 15 minute breaks and quickly became great friends. Ellie is a strong, bold, beast of a woman. Her square jaw frames her severely beautiful face and her hawk eyes miss nothing. Quick humor and a ready smile quickly disarm everyone Ellie encounters. One day we were chatting behind Vagabondia's counter and a tall blonde man with a thick Hungarian accent ducked through the open door way. His real name was Balazs Sipos, but we called him Shippy.

"Hey there!!!" called Ellie, "Can i help you find anything?"  "No, No..." he said, pausing while we spoke to admire the shop's colorful character. "Where are you FROM?" interrogated Ellie upon hearing the stranger's voice. "Hungary. Today is my first day here. I type in KNOXVILLE CENTER to navigational device and i come here to 'Knoxville center'" beamed Shippy pleasantly. "Well that's a great way to get to the square!!!" Ellie was out from behind the counter now shaking our new friend's hand. Shippy is an engineer and had taken a job at the Oakridge labs. He found an apartment downtown (at our suggestion) and quickly became one of Market Square's familiar friendly faces. You will see him at every First Friday and any good show.

Today as Shippy locked up his bike he told me he was leaving for Munich, Germany on July 15 because of visa complications. He will have to be there for at least 6 months. I told Shippy how i was entering Canada on a visitor visa before we hired an immigration lawyer to guide Jesse and i through the permanent residency application process. "Countries..." we said and gave understanding shrugs. "I still remember the day you came... and now you're one of Knoxville's icons." I patted Shippy's shoulder. "Yes... yes..." he smiled and glanced at the bustling square with all its charm, " I'll be back." We said our goodbyes and  disappeared amongst the tents.

Walking back to Coffee and Chocolate, i smiled as children screamed and ran through the fountains. Bill sat on a bench across from Cafe 4. He strummed his guitar and sang over the harmonica strapped around his neck. He's another icon of the square along with his white dog Jake. I winked and waved as i walked and Bill put down his pick for a moment to wave back... Earlier he had gotten a coffee from Coffee and Chocolate. When Bill reached for his wallet, Bob came in at that exact moment saying, "i've got you man." Bob can usually be spotted at the window table in front of the pastries reading and typing at his silver Apple lab top. He always wears a white linen shirt with jean pants in the winter and kaki shorts in the summer. These men, along with so many other wonderful men and women, make up part of Market Square's diverse and special heart. While events like Farmer's Market, First Friday, Shakespeare on the Square, and so many other fabulous festivals give what Shippy dubbed, "Knoxville Center" a unique and magical charm.