Listening: The hum of the air conditioner.

Reading (perhaps quality): Just finished The Queen of the South by Arturo Perez-Reverte

Reading (definitely pulp): Nothing.

Drinking: Water.

September 21, 2005
9:10 pm

Years ago Josh Ritter turned me on to Townes van Zandt - Ritter's
great song "Me and Jiggs" talks about playing van Zandt songs as part of an gorgeous evening and I wanted to hear what was so good about that music, what it could would inspire. Well, Townes van Zandt's stuff *is* great. Guitar and a touch of twang and spare and occasionally haunting arrangements.

Really like it all but I always come back to "To Live is to Fly". Started listening to the song and thought it was pretty, heard a little more and thought it was gorgeous, by the end was shaken by all it spoke to. The song's amazing with talk of love, pain, and ultimately a life well lived.

And now its been in my head since I got back from Connecticut. Life's been that way lately but the weekend made me especially reflective, with seeing all of Keith's family that I hadn't seen in forever. Talking about what's going on what I'm doing and hearing from them reminded me how much time can change things, how much it doesn't, and how the story of one's life is ultimately one's own responsibility and creation.

Things have been interesting lately with a million billion changes and challenges and things that have been both exciting and not a little scary. But van Zandt's song reminds me that living really living is about flying both "low and high"and that the most beautiful things are the ones that you really let yourself experience.

Doing (life and related tasks): Taking this class on meditation over at the Smithsonian, a combination of history with some practice.

Doing (crafty stuff): Started playing my old flute again. I sound horrid - am looking forward to getting better.

Wanting: Nothing much. Or at least nothing that's not mine to start with.

Anticipating: The National Book Festival this weekend!