Trio: Waiting For the Fire (2002)
When a child is born its sense-organs are brought in contact with the outer world.
The waves of sound, heat, and light beat upon its feeble body, its sensitive nerve-fibres quiver, the muscles contract and relax in obedience: a gasp, a breath, and in this act a marvelous little engine, of inconceivable delicacy and complexity of construction, unlike any on earth, is hitched to the wheel-work of the Universe.
–Nikolai Tesla, Man’s Greatest Achievement, in New York American, July 6, 1930
When I was born those waves of sound, heat, and light beat upon its feeble body and might very well have made my sensitive nerve-fibres quiver, as old Nikolai describes. Many decades later, however, my nerve-fibres aren’t quivering quite so much at the waves of heat we’re being hit with in recent times.
It’s more like those nerve-fibres are wilting. Never been a fan of the grim heat and humidity of our summers. Even less so now as the heat comes at us in seemingly ever-increasing waves.
Plus, the hormone therapy I am undergoing doesn’t seem to help either. I always enjoy a good hot flash. How’s a little more sweat going to hurt anything?
Nobody told me that the wheel-work of the universe would be so damn hot.
So, for the next few days, my plans are simple: Keep a low profile, keep things simple, avoid the sun, stay hydrated, and sweat profusely.
Actually, that could be any day of the year for me.
I am adhering to the keep it simple part of my plan here today. Here’s a song with a swampy feel. It’s from Robbie Robertson, the late songwriter/guitarist of The Band. This song, Somewhere Down the Crazy River, is from his self-titled 1987 album. I have played this album and this song many times over the many years since it came out and it never disappoints.
I’d tell you to get out but, meh, I don’t have the energy in this heat.
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