So I am hanging out with Leonard Cohen talking about song writing and exchanging tips when I realize he is not listening to me.
“Lenny, I just spent the last 15 minutes telling you about this great story I have been writing and all you can do is sing that damn song over and over.”
I’d like to tell you the reason ‘Lenny’ didn’t respond is because he was so engrossed in trying to find that secret chord he wasn’t aware I was speaking.
It is the sort of excuse I can buy because there are moments where I am so wrapped up in creating I get lost too.
One Sided Conversations
The real reason my good friend ‘Lenny’ wasn’t listening is because the man wasn’t there.
Well that is not entirely true, dude was on iTunes right after The Beatles and Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey.
Have I mentioned that song is underrated?
It is pretty damn catchy.
Anyhoo, I put some words on paper elsewhere and felt pretty damn good about the story I have there.
It is one of those tales that catches you by surprise because when it begins you have no idea how good it can be and can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Thing is you never really know if you are the only one who likes it or if you have other fans.
There is some magic in the mystery but then again there is something to be said for opening up for many.
When you put something like that out in the open you might get a little push back but then again you might get the kind of freedom you couldn’t have and always wanted.
Walking in the dark
Traffic coming back from Allen was heavier than I expected. While it still pales in comparison to LA it was enough to make me late for my walk.
Technically it didn’t matter because when you live on your own your schedule is yours to create, but today I realized I need to be more cognizant of some things.
That is because when I was 2.5 miles in I realized the sun was going to set before I finished.
Had I been within the confines of the complex I wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but this a park with critters.
I have seen a bobcat or two (could be the same one) and snakes but never concerned myself with them figuring that if I leave them alone they’ll do the same for me.
As the sun dropped out of sight and darkness spread over head I thought about Patsy Cline singing Walkin After Midnight and then I heard the bushes rustle.
I turned towards the noise but didn’t see anything and kept walking.
A few moments later the noise repeated itself and then went silent.
Again I turned and looked for the source but found nothing. So I resumed walking and wondered what was in the bushes.
Didn’t sound particularly large, but it was noisy enough for me to notice.
There are conversations I intend to have and a long list of things to do so I grabbed a nice stick I saw on the side of the path and weighed it in the palm of my hand.
It wasn’t as reassuring as a 36 ounce Louisville slugger but it had some heft to it and so I resumed walking.
Then noise continued for a moment and I silently suggested that whatever might be stalking me find a different target because I had no intention of being a meal for zombies or animals.
Clearly I wasn’t eaten because if I had you wouldn’t be reading this.
Things To Do
The moment in the park reiterated the importance of making time to do certain things.
Don’t mistake that to mean I feared for my life because I never did, but it would fair to say the noise made me very aware.
And during that increased awareness I thought about some of the conversations I want to have.
Thought about the people I want to sit down and look in the eye and recognized there are a bunch who I don’t care if I ever see again.
I am hypersensitive to some things and very aware of who and what is important to me and who/what isn’t.
Since I am stuck in a position where I can’t do more than I have done to help with some things it has accentuated my desire to control what I can.
I am more myself now than I have been in a long time and I can see how some people have grown with me and some have grown apart.
Evolution is a kick, isn’t it.
Anyway, as I told Lenny, this story has real potential, provided I have the guts to write it and share it.
Got some of it together, now we see what comes next.
