January 19, 2005

Something Seems To Be Happening

This was to be a nostalgic new year entry, but I'm skipping that today because something else seems to be happening. I don't know why it surprises me, this isn't the first time it's happened (which is why I recognize it as something) but it's weird and it makes me crazy, and I don't know what to call it.

Anyhow, it's just beginning and it may not play out like it has in the past, but for now it works like this -- a connection catches my attention, it could be the name of a car model I just rented matches the name of a magazine I happened to notice on a crowded rack, or I switch on the car and the radio is playing a different song by the same artist whose record I just switched off inside the house. What just happened a few moments ago was even more fun.

I watched "Don't Look Back" again last night (Pennebraker's film documenting Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England) and was bowled over this time by how magnificent a performer Dylan was -- especially on "It's all right Ma (I'm only bleeding)". So I decided to revisit the new Dylan autobiography, which led me to an interview of Dave Van Ronk by a guy named Elijah (a prophet - as well as my son's name) which led me to another interview -- this one with Caetano Velaso. Reading that inspired me to visit Velaso's website where I was greeted by loads of his albums. The first one I happened to listen to contained a recording of him singing Dylan's "It's alright Ma (I'm only bleeding)". An hour's work, total.

Now I realize this is not some huge thing, but it is a little out of the ordinary. Maybe it's just my senses tuning up, shaking off their cobwebs, checking me out to see if I'm paying attention. Maybe I especially need to notice now how things are woven together. I always hope it's some kind of nod from the 'powers that be' that everything is OK, that I'm on the right track, that everything eventually seems to fit. But how the hell would I know? I wouldn't. I don't. Except that this always happens when I'm getting ready to do something big and unreasonable. I might as well go ahead and say it then. I'm writing again. Consider yourself warned.