NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — You don't know what kinds of stories you can hear around a pool table.
Sometimes those conversations are background noise, but others might make you stop and think.
"Came in here and seemed like my whole body changed," said Larry Cox.
Cox goes to FiftyForward's Donelson Station on most days. He plays pool and he credits the group with playing an important role in his life.
Originally from Tennessee, Cox moved to Chicago when he was 19. He moved back to Tennessee a few years ago after some health problems.
"So I had practically died," he said.
He found his group. They shoot pool and share stories throughout the morning. He has spent most of his life playing in pool tournaments.
But at FiftyForward, you might also see him playing the harmonica — which he credits for saving his life.
"I absolutely taught myself," he said of the harmonica. "I just started to play what I would hear. I didn't read music and didn't go to school for music."
From time to time in Chicago, this harmonica helped to quickly change tune.
"One time I got into it with a guy and he was talking about shooting me and everything and I started playing the harmonica," Cox said.
This instrument proved instrumental.
"You know I could play the harmonica and they'd kind of calm down and they start talking about 'oh look he can play the harmonica'," Cox recalled. "Then they'd forget about the fighting and you have to kind of figure out how to defuse stuff."
Here — no need to defuse situations. It's just important to enjoy the great tunes and even better friends.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
