Blog 275 – 04.18.2016

Last week one of Willie Nelson’s country music outlaw contemporaries passed. Merle Haggard left a lot of music that he shared with us in his seventy-nine year adventure in Time and Space. One of my favorites of his songs is Mama Tried. I heard his voice in a replay of a 1995 radio interview were he said those words were about 97% true, that he had only changed a few words to make the song rhyme. Merle went on to say that he had changed his mind in prison, changed his life, and later after he got out, paid everyone back he had ever stolen from, asked everyone to forgive him that he had ever wronged including his Mama. We are all so grateful that Merle changed roads or we might never have heard his stories in song.

Willie made a big hit telling his story of singing across the country. I often think of his song On The Road Again when I am traveling the road to my next work assignment. Carol King also wrote and sang a song about the road many years ago. The most haunting lines say, “I sure hope the road don’t come to own me. You’re so far away. Doesn’t anybody stay in one place anymore.”

I love my life on the road. Many a poet has compared our life to a walk on a long and winding road. There are stops along the way where we refresh ourselves, try to measure our progress, sometimes we share the way with others till they or we turn off on to a different road. The Romans used to say, “All roads lead to Rome.” But, I think all roads lead Home. If you get there before me save me a place next to you and we’ll share our adventures for a thousand years or two. There’ll be plenty of time for ole friends to talk and perhaps even to plan another walk together, another adventure in the wilds of Time and Space.

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White