#eviesays

It is pretty shameless when you listen to a band solely because someone in the group is married to a Hollywood favorite. Take Coldplay, for instance. Their ethereal sound has grown on me for sure, but the only reason I ever agreed to go see them play live was the possibility of seeing Gwyneth, who is married to frontman Chris Martin.

Every summer I seem to have a signature drink. As the heat gets worse with each passing year, I like to retreat into the air conditioner with a refreshing cocktail.

I’m certain that learning to play ping pong is a skill developed solely to demean others. I can’t even polish my own toenails, so getting that little paddle to connect with that tiny ball has never been an easy feat for me.

When you typically think of a celebrity news and gossip personality, someone like Giuliana Rancic or Ryan Seacrest comes to mind. Perfectly polished and impeccably styled, guaranteed never to slip up and say something naughty. On the other end of the spectrum resides Huggy Lowdown, also known as the Celebrity Snitch.

Like many locals, I have fond memories of past summers spent attending Movies in the Park, the Nashville Scene’s annual public movie event. Traditionally, the screenings have taken place in Centennial Park, and last year got especially colorful.

Who reading this thinks he or she will be around in December 2117? That’s what I thought. In the grand scheme of things, none of us are here on Earth for very long, which is why we’re contractually obligated to take advantage of any once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that come our way.

While anyone else will tell you that the clouded leopard cubs and the new DinoTrek exhibit are the top reasons to visit the Nashville Zoo this summer, I would like to offer up a recommendation of a different sort. Indeed, the animals are wondrous and exotic, but I guarantee none of them hold a candle to the colorful cast of characters that are your fellow zoo gawkers.

Some of us know how to handle change and some of us don’t. For every person who welcomes a new experience as a golden opportunity, there’s another who cowers in a corner after finding out KFC altered their fried chicken recipe.