There’s nothing like a thousand miles of highway to clear your mind. Before we headed out on this unexpected roll of the dice, I was moving through each day like clockwork—loading and unloading equipment, setting up microphone stands and breaking them down, tuning guitars, and four hours later, putting them back in the cases. I knew exactly what needed to be done and how to do it—the who, when, what, where, why, and how of a normal day in the life. I got this. Then I got a message on my phone.
Suddenly, I had to change my plans and clear my schedule. Schedules can always be cleared. I know this from experience. Life happens, and we make adjustments—nothing is set in stone, so to speak. I also know that whatever I do, or don’t do, affects everyone near me, and even those far away. The opposite is true as well—this road trip is proof.
For example, my husband and I won’t be at our gigs this week. I will send out an email and do the best I can to let people know, but there will still be those who show up to find we’re not there. This will affect the waitstaff, who will have to explain that there’s been a change of plans. Two of our musician friends graciously agreed to make last-minute changes to their schedules so they could fill in for us. The venue owners will also need to redo their scheduled social media posts. Our change in plans creates a domino effect, like rings in the water from a small stone tossed in the water.
Every moment is a movement
For life and breath to flow right through.
Then there is Dennis, our two-year-old. He always gets to go on special assignments. Even though I explained that he would be better off in his air-conditioned home, he still won’t understand why we aren’t coming home so he can jump on the bed and chew on his bone, like he does every night before we turn out the light. I know he will get to spend special time at Grandma’s house, which always involves treats, but he will still be watching for us out the window. If you haven’t been introduced to Dennis, he is our Teddy Bear Poo, who is in every way the epitome of his namesake, Dennis the Menace.
Some have come alongside us on this necessary mission of the family kind, generously offering their time and resources, including mechanic work, gas money, cash for a motel room in case it’s too hot to sleep in the van, and mountains of good vibes and energy through their prayers and thoughts. Our community of friends and family, near and far, makes up a small army that is ready for action at a moment’s notice. We’re not just doing this one mission together, we’re doing life together—flowing, rocking, swaying, moving, and feeling all the vibrations of a life that is very much alive and always changing.
As the van rocks with the crosswinds, it feels like I am riding out the turbulence in an airplane, except that there are no sudden drops. Instead, the vibration of the tires on the highway lulls my body into a state of relaxation, at least until the next big rig passes by. We pass a Tesla with a U-Haul trailer. As a fancy truck pulling a horse trailer on its way to the next rodeo passes by us, I wonder if the horses riding in back are feeling the same road vibrations I am while the cooling breeze blows through the open windows across their backs. My gas-station coffee is cold now—it’s always a wild-card, but it still tastes pretty good. As my friend Ronnie would say, “It’s not terrible.”
One mile at a time, all is just as it should be on this Sunday morning.
Let it Flow
Trisha Leone Sandora
A chimney stands alone
Where an old house used to be
Instead of hardwood floors
There’s grass beneath my feet
In the shade beneath the stones
Tiny footprints leave tracks in the snow
In the warmth of the sun
Signs of life they come and go
One season to the next
We’re here until we’re gone
In a constant state of change
This old earth moves around the sun
Every moment is a movement
For life and breath to flow right through.
I’ll let it in
And begin again
Let it be
So my heart can see
The truth that shines beneath
What it has to teach
With open hands
I'll let it go
Let it flow, let it flow, let it flow
Through me
I’ll stand where I am
Not where I’ve already been
No strings attached
To pull me back into the past
Highs and lows, love and loss
Through tears of joy and pain
The times when I stand strong and brave
Or when I’m unsure and afraid
Every moment is a movement
For life and breath to flow right through.
I’ll let it in
And begin again
Let it be
So my heart can see
The truth that shines beneath
What it has to teach
With open hands
I'll let it go
Let it flow, let it flow, let it flow
Through me
Listen to the song Let it Flow on Bandcamp