As we approach our moving date and Belly and I spend more and more time traversing between the city and our new house, I have realized one of the (many) great benefits of moving to the suburbs: the reintroduction of driving into my life! I always used to be one of the "drivers" in the old days--the friend with the car (his name was Julio from the Paul Simon song), the one always happy to pick other people up and drive places near and far, even though I have no sense of direction. I spent two and a half months driving across the country the summer after college, but twelve years of NYC living made me practically forget how much I love to drive.
I have done some of my best thinking behind the wheel of a car. It's amazing--I couldn't possibly imagine sitting in a chair and just thinking about stuff for more than about 5 minutes. I am way too fidgety and antsy for that, and my brain would just turn into a useless hamster wheel. But take that chair and make it move down the street, road, highway, strip, it doesn't even matter where, and my brain takes off as well. My thoughts can move forward too, from one topic to the next, instead of spinning in place. I wish I could try meditating on one of those moving floor things in the airport...I bet it would be a lot easier. Maybe I'll start picturing my meditation cushion as a moving object, floating across the water or moving through the air! Oh, and I also need to get a meditation cushion.
The other incredible thing about driving "alone" in the car (and by "alone" I currently mean accompanied by no one over 2 years of age): what a fantastic singer I suddenly become. I mean multiple record-deal fantastic. Like, a complete hush would fall over crowd in Madison Square Garden just to catch every timber of my fantastic voice. The unfathomable power of my singing voice (ONLY alone in the car, or else accompanied by like-minded singing talents/best friends) is the reason I had always completely lost my voice by the time Julio and I arrived at school. Nine of hours of pure singing sensation (plus a couple cigarettes) required a few days of recovery.
So I have realized that my singing voice has a lot in common with fast food.
In regular life, they both may leave you feeling...less than satisfied, perhaps even a bit queasy.
But in the car, on the road, they are nothing short of awesome.
11 comments:
Brilliant post Kim.
Tra-la-la!
So glad you're experiencing some benefit from this moving process! My voice is always better in the car, too, as are my powers of concentration. Perhaps you need a seat cover as your meditation cushion!
It's the acoustics in a car. I sound like Kate in my car and a wounded cat out in the open air.
I'm so glad to have your words to read again. Hope your move is going well.
Only you could come up with "I sing like a Big Mac."
Totally funny and totally true.
LOVE this post! We have a LOT in common!
I'm so glad you are getting to rediscover this! I love to sing in the car, and just be, think, ruminate. I miss it already...
"Oh, and I also need to get a meditation cushion."
This about killed me, it's tied with " I mean multiple record-deal fantastic."
GREAT post, sorry I'm reading it a full week late, that is TFBS!
love.
Thanks for the laugh out loud laugh!
It's multi record deal fantastic.
Ha! Another Taco Belle is born! :) Welcoming you back to the glorious road, and the celebration of your own beautiful voice. That's why we're here, isn't it? xo t
knock, knock,
anyone home? keep stopping by hoping for a peek of the new place that you are probably too busy settling into to write anything here!
Do you ever cup your ear? The first time I tried it all my childhood dreams reawakened with a renewed belief in my potential....
Great post!
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