Have music, will travel...

I like to drive. Sometimes very fast. I always thought of it as race, not against other drivers, but a clock. Truth is, however, I began driving out of necessity and not for the thrill of being in control of a machine.  Most in our country do but cities such as New York bypass it completely. As a military brat, I spent my formative years living in the Nürnberg area of what was then West Germany. My family had a car but it was routine for my friends and I to hop on the Straßenbahn or U-bahn to get around. I developed an appreciation for public transportation long before getting behind the wheel of a car.

Still, I like driving - when I can.  And when I do, I tend to prefer longer drives that average two or more hours. Especially in twilight or dusk when there aren't as many drivers out there. Kind of like a sailing vessel with the stars (when you can see them) overhead.

Before my move to Boston in the late Eighties, driving was the time I could sing along to my music and, in some cases, rehearse vocal parts as I was playing in a band at the time. Having become addicted to driving, I thought my acclimation to public transportation would be difficult - it wasn't. I felt right at home and now I had the benefit of the trusty Walkman I picked up in Germany or the subsequent replacements to keep me company. I still had my music.  Depending on my mood, I'd pop in whatever album or mixed tape I had. It was crazy as I packed as many as (gasp) three cassettes into my backpack. So at any one time, I had four and a half hours of music!

How I chuckle now as I plug into my iPhone on my travels and noting that, while still not completely full, I now carry 6.66 (repeating) days worth of music on a daily basis. Music of most genres. Music to fulfill the need of my then present mood.

And when you see me, you may observe my lips forming sung lyrics or fingers and feet following drum parts or following the fingering of a guitar or bass part - left or right hand and sometimes both at the same time.

Still I try to be reserved doing this so as to not draw attention. Or at least that's the goal. I am not always successful as I notice eyes on me.

And if she happens to be attractive, I won't mind at all...