I am sitting in the Holiday Inn on the north side of San Antonio. I am here for the wedding of two people I have never met. No. I’m not a gatecrasher. In the wonderful world of Bikers and our online social networks it seems a perfectly normal thing for me to be doing. Kev and Deb seem like delightful folks from their profiles, my chats with Deb, and from their blogs. I know a few people as online acquaintances who will be there too. Since the invite was “open”, I said yes and here I am, the night before the warm up party, resting my sore back after the ride up from San Benito.
The ride up took about 5 hours with rest breaks. My back has been bothering me for a while now. A dirt bike accident many years ago shortened one of my legs by almost an inch. Being young and invincible I did nothing about it until I was 60. Now the old S1 vertebra is well out of alignment and can cause me fits if I am rude to it. I am thinking loving thoughts about my acupuncturist in Toronto who can make it all go away by sticking a pin in my forehead.
The ride was a good one. No traffic except in the urban cores. I made good time and I had a great playlist for the ride loaded onto the trusty iPod. Today’s artists included Bruce Springsteen, Carlos Santana, Cream, Van Morrison, Jackson Browne, and many more. I had lots to process in terms of feelings and thoughts about my journey.
Leaving San Benito was hard because I made a really good friend there. Ed is a retired educator. He rides a BMW and a Harley. We have a lot in common in the way we live. Ed lives in the moment and savors the Blessings that come his way. Before I left today he gave me a blessing, asking Papa (his term of endearment for the Lord) to keep me safe on the road and to watch over my heart as I continue my quest. We were both in tears (yeah tough biker types for sure) as we shook hands and embraced before I saddled up to continue my journey. We shared many thoughts together on life, love and our purpose in this world. Deep friendships are like the most rare jewels.
Tomorrow will be another landmark on my journey. Tomorrow I will meet a woman who has been a loyal reader of my blogs and has encouraged my creative interests. We have been messaging and discussing my blogs, life, and our spiritual journeys by chat, text, and phone now for a while. She has also expressed a strong desire to help me with my book project. I am used to working alone but I truly welcome someone being interested in my work and helping me successfully put myself out there.
We have shared a great deal in the time we have talked and, it turns out, we are both attracted to each other so tomorrow is the scary moment of meeting and finding out if it is real or is it Memorex! She is here in San Antone for the same wedding I am attending.
We both share a love for the lyrics and music of Jackson Browne. One her favorites is The Pretender and she often tells me it's time to put our dark glasses on so when I heard the Pretender today on the ride, it was like she was in the backseat behind me.
I'm going to find myself a girl
Who can show me what laughter means
And we'll fill in the missing colors
In each other's paint-by-number dreams
And then we'll put our dark glasses on
And we'll make love until our strength is gone
And when the morning light comes streaming in
We'll get up and do it again
Get it up again
There won’t be any love making but there will be lots of friend making this weekend as we deepen our friendship and spiritual connection. She is a very chaste and a Christian woman of integrity and strength . But, we will definitely have our dark glasses on as we ride the roads in the area and take part in the celebration of Kev and Deb’s joining together in marriage. What a wonderful occasion!!! Here are two folks who don’t qualify as young anymore finding love and a connection that is so strong that they wish to affirm before God and their friends, their love for each other. I look forward to the wedding and wish Kev and Deb much love, peace, and prosperity in their union together!
I was a little apprehensive about meeting my friend Little Wing, as she is known, tomorrow. My track record in affairs of the heart has sucked. However, if you read my blogs regularly you know that I do live in the moment as much as I can and I don’t navigate life through my rear view mirror. I live with my heart wide open and receptive to the call of love and the call of spiritual connection. At the least, we will have a great friendship and perhaps more.
Another song on the playlist fits here. A song by my Mohawk brother Robbie Robertson:
There's gonna be a change of season
Indian Summer look around
And it's gone
Why you wanna save the best for last
We grow up so slowly
And grow old so fast
We don't talk about forever
We just catch it while we can
And if I grab on
To the moment
Don't let it slip away
Out of my hand
What about now
What about now
Forget about tomorrow
It's too far away
What about now
What about now
Close your eyes
Don't talk of yesterday
It's too far away
Too far away
It's too far away
What about now
I'm coming out of the shadows
I'm getting of of this one way street
Blue memories
They just gather dust
Leave them in the rain
They turn into rust
Did you see the march to freedom
Did you ever see Savannah moon
In the middle of the night
All the other people
Walking in a line
Said to the man
Is it my time
What about now
What about now
Forget about tomorrow
It's too far away
What about now
What about now
Just close your eyes
Don't talk of yesterday
It's too far away
Too far away
It's too far away
What about now
In the walk of a lifetime
When you know it's the right time
Bring it to me darlin'
I can't wait
I can't wait
Until the ship comes in
I can't wait
I can't wait
Starting up all over again
The errors of a wise man
Make the rules for a fool
What about now
Forget about tomorrow
It's too far away
It's too far away
What about now
Don't talk of yesterday
It's too far away
It's too far away
What about now
What about now
Forget about tomorrow
It's too far
It's too far away
It's too far away
What about now
Close your eyes
Don't talk of yesterday
It's too far away
Too far away
It's too far away
Too far away
It's too far
What about now
It's all about now right now
Don't break the spell
Don't break the spell
Don't break the spell
Don't break the spell
It's all about now right now
Now right now
Here right now
It's all about now
All over by tomorrow
Don't break the spell
So tomorrow is but a few hours away and soon it will be now; the present. I go forward with hope and trusting in myself and in the bountiful nature of the Creator.
From the untitled book:
Anticipation
It fills the air about me electric
I look to the north to skies clear blue
My boot tracks clear in the trail
The steps of my journey made with purpose
How quickly I have come to this point
But my steps have been sure and unwavering
Anticipation
Not ominous but with a sense of leaving
I look to the east and the fading late sky
Perhaps salted with the tang of regret
For loves lost and memories of old lives
Memories to be treasured and stored lovingly
Lesson learned about life’s uncertainties
Anticipation
It is orange and yellow dramatic light
I look to the west sun setting intensely
Bright with promise of the future
Of life to be lived and lessons to be learned
Of future joys unknown and momentary treasures
Of great joy to greet meat journey’s end
Anticipation
Hot wind of a dog’s breath on my arm
I look to the south warmly beckoning
My trail continues this way
Leading me to my destiny my dreams
Where I will find shelter from the storms
Where I will find great purpose and peace
Anticipation
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