January 21st, 2017
“Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin’ ship
My senses have been stripped
My hands can’t feel to grip
My toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin’
I’m ready to go anywhere
I’m ready for to fade
Into my own parade
Cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it.”
Bob Dylan
It’s strange how time and words catch up with a person. Many years ago I bought the vinyl version of “Mr. Tambourine Man” as sung by the Byrds. This afternoon, I listened to Roger McGuinn and David Crosby sing the lyrics, more than once, more than twice. Today, for some reason, I played that record and it meant something new. Suddenly, a song from my youth became very pertinent.
In three weeks I will go to Blaine, Washington, to start a walk (Longest Walk 5.3) with strangers that ends somewhere unknown to me. I know where the walk begins, but that is all I know. I don’t know the route. I don’t know where I will eat or sleep. I don’t know how far I will go. I don’t know how I will get home.
Up until recently, I would never have attempted a journey like this one. I always needed to be organized. I always needed to have everything planned out. I always needed to be safe, or as safe as I could be.
Now, I don’t care. Now “I am ready to go anywhere”, and “I am ready for to fade”. Whatever happens, happens. It’s all up to God.
What a strange, scary, wonderful, exciting feeling.
Frank is Emptiness 