Sunday, February 22, 2009

XLVI

All of a sudden I’m overcome by a feelin’ of brief mortality
Cause I’m gettin’ on in the world,
comin’ up on forty-one years

Forty-one stony gray steps towards the grave
You know, the box awaits its grisly load
—The Rev. D. Wayne Love, “Woke Up This Morning”

Photo by Maura S.

The lyrics to that great song from Alabama 3’s brilliant Exile on Coldharbour Lane album rolled through my head for a minute or two on Saturday as I completed my 46th stony gray step. Not because I was feeling especially mortal, but because I have a tangential thought process that seems to dredge up my favorite songs at odd times.

A bike ride on your birthday is a nice way to not think about the box and its grisly load. Bright sunshine; trails that are firming up as the temperatures drop; three hours to ride and fun people to do it with ... that’s a damn good combination any day of the year.

So just like Rev. DeWayne as he cued up Pithecanthropus Erectus on his CD player, I pushed that remote button to sublimity and listened to the sweet, sculptural rhythms of fat tires on snowy singletrack.

And I made it to the top of that hill without a dab.

But I still got flipped off.

7 comments:

Grill Meister said...

Awesome post. I love that song. Haven't heard the album. Is it any good. Keep riding your bikes and you should be able to make at least another 46 stony steps. Now that will be a sweet birthday ride.

Anonymous said...

I tend to think of "OLD" by Paul Simon when I think of you...
The first time i heard "Peggy Sue"
I was 12 years old
Russians up in rocket ships
and the war was cold
now many wars have come and gone
Genocide still goes on
Buddy Holly still goes on
but his catalog was sold

First time i smoked
guess what - paranoid
First time I heard "Satisfaction"
I was young and unemployed
Down the decades every year
Summer leaves and my birthday's here
And all my friends stand up and cheer
And say man you're old
Getting old
Old
Getting old

We celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas day
And Buddah found Nirvana along the Lotus Way
About 1,500 years ago the messenger Mohammed spoke
And his wisdome like a river flowed
Through hills of gold
Wisdome is old
The Koran is old
The Bible's
Greatest story ever told

Disagreements?
Work 'em out

The human race walked the Earth for 2.7 million
And we estimate the universe about 13-14 billion
When all these numbers tumble into your imagination
Consider that the Lord was there beefore creation
God is old
We're not old
God is old
He made the mold
Take your clothes off
Adam and Eve
-H

Anonymous said...

Ah, the wonder and joy that is Alabama 3. Hopefully you're feeling better about your 46th step than Dwayne was about his 41st. And I agree, a ride on the birthday is the way to go. Too bad I'll be stuck in the office for mine.

Frostbike said...

Happy birthday, ya old coot!

Tim said...

Thanks, Pete, you young brat!

And H, I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about your comment.

The Old Bag said...

Happy 46th -- glad to see you made it this far. It's not too bad out here....

MELI. said...

awesometastic!