The Savagery Of Devastation

I am torn between what music should accompany my thoughts and so dear reader I provide you with the initial choices that have me scratching my head.

1. The Godfather Theme– Nina Rota
2. The Ecstasy Of Gold– The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Soundtrack
3. 1812 Overture– Tchaikovsky
4. Time– Inception Soundtrack
5. Hurt– Johnny Cash Cover
6. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face– Johnny Cash
7. Hallelujah– Leonard Cohen
8. The Promise– Bruce Springstreen 18 Tracks version
9. Adagio For Strings– Samuel Barber

There are other tunes floating up from the dark recesses of my mind like There is a Ship, Kashmir and Tusk but sometimes you have to fish or cut bait.

So here I am, looking at the final nine and writing about whatever flows through my mind.

Staring at the screen knowing some of the questions that will come and smiling because few if any will dare to ask not because of fear but because you don’t open some doors unless you are willing to walk through them.

My eyes are closed and I am trying to decide which version of Thunder Road I see and whether it matters because the rivers we swim and the roads we walk never stay the same.

I Like The Sentiment

There are three toilet seats that are standing at attention in this place.

Why?

Because for the time being it doesn’t matter and the idea that I have to put it down because others might not think to look where they sit irks me sometimes.

I am not a huge Barry Manilow fan, hell, I am not sure if fan would be an adjective you can use to describe me at all.

What I can say is I appreciate some of his music and that snippet above, well I really like that one.

It describes how I feel about some of my posts.

Took a long time for me to appreciate Barry at all, not that I am really surprised by that. I do some things in my own time and don’t move because others tell me too.

It reminds me of a Bette Midler concert I went to when I was 24 or 25.

I had no interest but my girlfriend at the time insisted and so I grudgingly went and discovered that my feelings about going were right.

It was a lousy show.

But that probably had little to nothing to do with Bette. I didn’t like it because I felt like I had been forced to go, I didn’t appreciate the music and I thought the other couple that went with us was annoying.

Twenty some years later I have a sneaking suspicion I might appreciate and enjoy it more, but I have no interest in finding out if those other people are less annoying now.

Since I can’t remember their names it probably doesn’t matter anyway.

Take The Rope

I cannot confirm nor deny throwing the rope out and yelling for them to reach out and grab it.

The first few times were probably gentle and were eventually followed by a less gentle, “TAKE THE FUCKING ROPE!”

And just when I thought it had been grabbed I discovered it hadn’t.

It happened multiple times and though I am a smart man I am dumb enough to ignore certain things, such as the rope not being taken.

So I threw it over and over and did all I could but it just didn’t matter.

That wasn’t the first time I learned about the savagery of devastation but it might have been the hardest.

It also might have been when I was glad I had already had my heart torn out because it made it all just a tad bit easier.

That moment also reminded me that it is always easier to say goodbye when you are angry.

Run With Me

It has been far too long since I yelled “Run With Me” and then watched as he would run circles around me.

That giant head and one plus pounds of Golden Retriever was love and friendship incarnate.

It was impossible to stay angry with him, even when he ate your wallet, hair brush, dinner and assorted items.

There were other dogs before him and I remember them well, but he is the one that made the deepest impression.

Might not be fair to the others and could be tied into timing because he joined the family when I was still single.

He stuck around long enough to see me marry and become a dad.

If you play some of the old movies you can see the kids chase him. Most of the time he was tolerant of everything and anything they did.

But sometimes you’d see him look at me and I knew he was asking how long I was going to let the boy with the toy lawnmower chase him.

“You ate my wallet beast and I told you there would be pay back. Enjoy it you big lug.”

He’d always respond by wagging his tail and I’d know he had won.

“If I spent all day sleeping and had people feed, pet and clean up after me I’d be relaxed all the damn time too.”

That tail would wag and I’d just shake my head and smile.

It is too bad he is not around because I have important things to talk about with him. That big lug would listen and he’d help.

Given time I can crack that thing open, I just know it. It is just a matter of time and opportunity.

Maybe.

Fade to black followed by a shot of the hero and villain.

End with Enterprising Young Men

Fade to black, full stop.