“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”
- Subterranean Homesick Blues ,Bib Dylan
“ Lay Down all thoughts , surrender to the void
It is shining, it is shining
Yet you may see the meaning of within
It is being, it is being…”
- Tomorrow Never Knows. Lennon and McCartney
“If you want to see God laugh, tell him your plans”
- Woody Allen
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Peripatetic Musing Number 132
The problem with GPS is that it is no different
From the old Atlas Road Maps or Seafaring Navigational Charts.
You can plan where you are headed and chart a course
But you never know what is going to happen along the way.
Sometimes things happen and you didn’t even start the journey.
Just as everything was going smoothly, winds blowing right, fair skies,
Sometimes “There comes a time when all the cosmic tumblers click into place”
But sometimes everything falls apart…tragedy, storms, nightmares.
The worst case scenario seemed to randomly surface without notice.
Just as we were on the road to celebrate a nice evening with good friends
The phone call came on a the mobile phone…a call no one dares to consider
Or ever dream of ….but suddenly the words on the line flowed
Like poison about to kill our spirits….it was our landscaper ,
In a quivering voice he said “ I am so sorry…I don’t know what to say…
I accidentally ( long pause) cut your state of the art cable to your house.”
Immediately we knew what that meant….the horror, the pain , the sadness,
The aloneness, the angst , the grief and on and on and on….
What would I do? No Television, no internet access- through computers
Or state of the art “smart phone” and just as bad - no land line phone.
Panic started to set in and I composed myself long enough to call the cable company.The news did not improve…it would be three days before anyone could come out And check and “Hopefully repair” the problem.
Oh, the pain. What to do?What to do?
I submitted to my plight and tried not to allow it to interfere with
Our visit with our close friends and then the second call came.
It was our landscaper again. I shook as I answered the call. I didn’t think
I could handle any more traumatic news.
But he said “ I got some tools and extra cable and I think your cable is fixed.”
Alleluia! Thank you Jesus! Everything was right with the world again.
“But, you will have to check everything when you get home.”
Relief! A great sigh expunged all the angst. Admittedly I tried to remain
Present with the company our friends but there were frequent drifts to the great anticipation and expectation when we would arrive home.
I could hardly wait.
Relief and calm slowly settled in…as the worry about the potential lack of
Necessary technologies began to evaporate.
No more anticipating a probable monastic lifestyle for at least three days.
No more concern about missing critical email correspondence of notice
Of packages about to be delivered or last minute sales of music equipment or
No missed messages from long lost friends who who reach out every four years or so.
No more concern about missing that favorite repeat of “Law and Order” on TV or scrolling
The laundry list of 100’s of channels that might have that one show I would accidentally view!
No more worry about missing that phone call or message from my pharmacy say that
My prescription had been filled
Or missing the phone call that would let me know that thing I ordered was in.
I din’t have to think about all the books on my shelf waiting to be read or the songs whose lyrics and chords I had printed out so I could practice on my guitar. I no longer had to think about how and when to pack my bike in my car so I could ride along the beach on the island.
Relief…what a feeling. Whew I dodged a bullet!
Whew!!!
Three hours later, the drive home was so slow everyone seemed to decide that night that the posted speed limit was just right and every driver would abide . Finally , finally …we arrived and I jumped from the car more excited
Than a four year old on Christmas morning.
Computer … on, Tv …on , picked up the phone and realized with overwhelming dismay
Nothing was working. Maybe I did something wrong. Retry everything….Nothing.
My God , My God why have you forsaken me?
It was difficult to sleep that night. What will I do? What will I do?
The next morning I made some coffee and was submissive to my fate.
I sat in and prayed in silence and solitude. For some reason unexplained no though surface about my technological circumstance. Something else seemed to settle in to this spirit.
The last of the darkness of the night faded into light slowly with each breath. The morning bird sweetly softly singing her simple solo song
Accompanied by the chimes intermittent ringing by the salted holy wind,
The breath of God.
The tops of the proud-full trees were crowned with the glow of the arriving sun. Everything was illuminated, flowers colors shown brightly and shadows appeared
Of gliding gulls in from the from the coast as they laughed.
I was Breathing in, breathing out
Eyes closed everything seemed to be clear in that moment.
The pen in hand mystically glided freely without intent or purpose
Words flowed like rain into a paper cup ,pools of sorrow ,waves of joy
Drifted in my open mind. * filling virgin pages.
Just like that…the bubble of the first world worries flew away.
I had arrived back to where I needed to be.
- JF Sobecki
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1984 - Intro of The MacIntosh
https://youtu.be/axSnW-ygU5g
Telephone Line - ELO
https://youtu.be/4xYk8hDmoGY
Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles
https://youtu.be/Iwuy4hHO3YQ
Simple Gifts - Allison Kraus/Yo Yo Ma
https://youtu.be/baNueuDCue0
Across the Universe - The Beatles
https://youtu.be/iotagMCkJRE
The Layers - Stanley Kunitz
https://youtu.be/wk6xW41EFoA
amdg
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