This was the first song that got me into folksy-type music. That down-home, down-to-earth feeling that I just love. Sort of how it feels to drive down a gravel road while on your way with good company to spend some time among nature.
There is one time I remember, when my whole family (grandparents, aunts included) drove down a gravel road and spent a week camping down by the Nueces River. A time when I was young and it was easy to appreciate people and things for their individuality. I remember admiring my aunt for the way she wore her hair, my grandfather for the way he would stare off into the distance while sipping his morning coffee, and another relative for the way she easily seemed to be able to step over river stones. And then there was the big swayed tree, where my brother and I would sit and listen to the river. There was also the sound of the frogs at night when we would barbeque and sit around the fire for dinner. All of these little things added up to a memorable experience.
Now, later in life, I am trying to regain that capacity to appreciate the little things, and after a lifetime of trying to ignore them for supposed bigger pursuits. Financial concerns, so-called social acceptance, misguided accumulation of knowledge...the list goes on. Lately I am learning that those things aren't quite as important as they seemed a few short years ago, and I am left feeling extremely liberated and real.
And now, my focus is on the things that matter: the people in my life, appreciating the little things, getting out in nature, and keeping the music around that helps me to remember what those things feel like.
I love nights like tonight.
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