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Slowly, she took a deep breath and placed a foot on the first
step. And slowly again, she reached the next step. Thud. The sound of her feet on the steps echoed throughout the immense
room. She could hear her father behind her, trying to figure out how to work the camera. She took another step, only to hear
it echo once again. The sound bounced back off of the wooden walls. The room was so old and huge. It was once sort of cathedral,
used for a man to go on the stage and preach to a crowd. The crowd would be seated in benches shaped like pews, set up in
a half circle, so that no matter where you stood, you had a good view of the stage. There was also a balcony, with benches,
high above, where you had a good view and could see everything, even up there. Stained glass windows lined the back wall,
high and towering above everything, going up to the high ceiling. She took another step and reached the stage floor. This
place was the Ryman Auditorium, the original site of the Grand Ole Opry. The Opry, of course, had not been at the Ryman for
over 30 years. She took a tentative step forward and slowly turned around. Light from outside came through the stained glass
windows, shining on her in amazing shades of red, blue and yellow. She smiled and picked up the guitar that was waiting for
her, and slipped the strap over her shoulder. She looked down to see her father still fiddling with the camera, and the photographer
saying, “just a few more minutes, and I’ll be ready”. She smiled and closed her eyes, and thought of people
who had once stood where she was standing now. First to enter her thoughts was her favourite female singer, Emmylou Harris.
She smiled a little more, picturing Emmy on the stage, singing Boulder To Birmingham. But then another thought came to her.
Emmy stood on this stage with her band, the Nashville Ramblers…not Gram. She never got to sing with him where it mattered
most. He left her before they had a chance. She began to frown as her thoughts shifted to Gram. She began thinking about his
life, and then remembered when he once stood at this place too. He was with the Byrds, and had stood center stage. She looked
down, and suddenly realized she was standing in the middle of the stage. Gram never got to sing here with Emmy either. Tears
began to well up in her eyes, and one slowly fell to the floor, shining red, blue and yellow, from the light entering the
windows. She took a deep breath as her father called to her, saying he was ready. She blinked hard twice, composed herself,
and smiled as she raised her head. Taking another deep breath, she looked up at her father and waited as he took a picture
of her, then waited as the photographer took a picture also. When they were all done, she put the guitar back down, and slowly,
on shaking legs, descended the stairs to the few stairs to the main floor where her father was waiting.
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