Suwannee Time

Time is a concept that has many meanings at the Spirit of the Suwannee Park. During events such as the Suwannee River Jam, Magfest, Springfest, The Wanee, etc. Time is all that matters if you want to see your favorite artists playing at venues all over the park. But once the music stops and all of the trash has been picked up, the park once again grows silent and those of us who live here slip back into Suwannee time.

To me, Suwannee time is a concept that has no beginning or end; no appointment to keep or scheduled meal time. My concept of Suwannee time goes from hours and minutes to much broader concepts such as night and day, asleep and awake. My only concerns are hunger and hygiene. I can go down by the river and be serenaded by the swirling waters all day and by the crickets and insects all night, with the moon and stars providing the only light I need.

I can grab a novel, head out to the observation platforms and lose myself in the delicious consumption of enlightenment with my only intrusion being from nature. I can sit out by the drum circle and reminisce with Phil about days gone by, while at the same time eagerly awaiting the opening of the “Bubba Slide” so I can see and hear the joy of the children as they glide down…and of Cindy as she supervises it.

I can ride on my cart and hear the sounds of the Harold White Band and Silverado echo alongside Lynard Skynard, the Allman Brothers and John Anderson with equal enthusiasm in a place that prides itself on being the place where music lives.

We have our traditions and our own personal icons: Uncle Charles, Phil, The Wanee Tsunami and “Wristbands please,, but they are ours, and they are all also a part of “Suwannee Time."

So the next time you are in a hurry to get to that doctor’s appointment, or are stuck behind someone going 15 miles an hour too slow, remember that soon you will be driving down river road headed towards “Suwannee Time” and none of that will matter as much anymore.

article by William Kelly