Sunday Morning Coming Down

Let's say you are alone for a bit on a dark and rainy Sunday morning.

Let's say your wife is out bowling ball shopping.

You enjoy a cup of coffee, read your book for a while. The responsibility gene kicks in. You clean the kitty litter box, you empty the dishwasher and load it up again.

Before you begin the chores you dial up John Prine on the ipod machine.

And you go about your chores alternately smiling and tearing up. The man is beautiful. His music is beautiful.

It touches your soul in a simple way on a simple day. Changes your perceptions.

The cats rouse as you move around. You pat them, you smile so hard at how cute they are, as they talk to you.

You cry a little bit even as you smile, recognizing their sweet beauty, pure love and devotion. You are so happy to have them around.

In part the tears come from being tired; you slept like crap last night and being tired breaks down the thin defenses between you and your emotions.

But it is OK because there is nobody here to judge you. Those are the best tears to shed; when you don't have to worry about what it says about you in somebody else's eyes.

"Taking A Walk" comes around. Kind of slows you down as you pay closer attention. This song has always gotten to you.

Taking a walk as a simple and elegant solution to life's problems. Not drinking, not fighting, not screaming or pouting. Just taking a walk. Getting outside.

Getting calm. Getting spiritual.

And the songs keep on coming. And you wonder why you can't write like that.

"Crazy as a Loon". "So I'm up here in the North Woods, just staring at a lake, wondering just exactly how much they think a man can take, I eat fish to pass the time away, 'neath this blue Canadian moon, this old world has made me crazy, crazy as a loon, Lord this world will make you crazy, crazy as a loon."

You exhale.

"Some Humans Ain't Human". "Have you ever noticed when you're feeling really good, there's always a pigeon that will come and shit on your hood, or you're feeling your freedom, and the world's off your back, some cowboy from Texas starts his own war in Iraq."

You smile. Broadly. Forgot about that one.

You stop and wonder about this day. Really two days in one.

Later on you'll motor on down to Paula & Bill's shack to dig on THE PATS and the return of Tom Brady.

You'll get loud, you'll drink a little too much and you will dig every second of it. You'll talk, you'll laugh.

You'll come home to The Sox. Later on, the debate.

It is all pretty cool.

But these moments, right now, seem a little more special. Seem to carry a little more weight.

You are you in each of these moments. Wonder a little where the balance is, where the truth lies.

But when you come right down to it, it really doesn't matter.