Zen.

Does anyone else do this?

Because this city is small enough that I can walk everywhere, I do walk everywhere. I always listen to music when I walk. I think I've been doing this for a long time, but I've only just recently noticed that I've actually stopped measuring time with, well, actual time. Now I measure it in songs. For example: A walk to the superstore takes, on average, about 4 songs. A walk home from school takes about an album. This has completely changed my life. I actually think of time as a number of songs. I don't think there's any going back now.

I noticed it as I was walking to the store tonight with not much else to think about. Actually, that's why I listen to music while I walk. It clears my head. It sort of stops my mind from wandering into daydreams too much (Which is a bigger problem for me than you might believe). It forces me to stick to observing, rather than analyzing. Example: One day, on my way home from school, the batteries in my MP3 player died. My precious Creative Zen. There is no worse sight than a flashing red bar where the battery charge should be (Am I right?). So I actually cursed quite loudly. Maybe I was in a bad mood because of that, but I found myself mentally cursing all of the people who were walking towards me on the wrong side of the very narrow, snowy sidewalk. And when there was no-one on the walk, I was thinking about those people cutting me off and forcing me into the snow, albeit only ankle-deep.

I know, right? Stupid. Relax.

Then today, while walking to the store, I had my music. Fleet Foxes are the flavor of the week. The only thing I actually remember thinking about is how the crescent moon, in a clear night sky like tonight's, always reminds me of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. I'd much rather spend my time comparing life to cartoons, that's for sure.

Well I'm out for now, folks. I'm re-certifying my CPR tomorrow morning, and I have to be up in about, oh, 9 albums or so. 'Til we speak again.

-AM

the stars will rise again