Channeling Springsteen

My husband takes the pup on walks during the day, but it's my job to take the little fella when I get home from work. Now that it's staying lighter just a little bit longer, it's getting easier, but still it's full-on dark by the time I arrive home when the walk is done. Today, I needed to stay just a little bit longer at work, and then there was one quick stop to make on the way home, putting me a full half hour off my regular gettin' home time. The pup knows the walk is comin', and he's more than ready to get it started. So I quickly get changed, then bundled up (because it's suddenly freaking freezing here), get out the door and am stunned with the sight of such a gorgeous sky.

I knew it was going to be dark really soon, and I headed towards the woods on the far side of the pond. I could see through the trees to the other side where that awesome sky was beckoning. I hesitated for just a moment, then decided to keep going despite the fact that darkness was approaching quickly. The trail through this side is twisty and covered with obstacles in some sections, but I could still see fairly well and make my way to the other side. It's pretty when I get to the other side. It's not on the farm we live, but it's another horse farm and I've always walked this path. I head up the fencerow, planning on making a left about a hundred fifty yards up and I'm starting to think that damn, it's really getting dark. I pick up my pace.

The trail coming up is really wide in the beginning, and then narrows at a small creek. When I made that left and turned in onto the trail, I was surprised at how dark it was in that woods. I chided myself on how I should have known better than to walk in the woods in the dark. And then I almost started to get worried, because there was no way I could go back the way I came, and then this song came into my head and it made me feel better. I kept walking.

Do you know that Bruce Springsteen song, "Out in the Street"? I think it's from The River album. I loved that album. Anyway, it was back before he was a mega-star, but he was famous enough to be able to point to a model on a magazine cover and say "yeah, I want to meet that one" and suddenly, he's marrying Julianne Phillips. Anyway, everybody that knew me back then, knew that I had a HUGE crush on Bruce, and the song goes that when he's "out in the street, I walk the way I wanna walk ". When that song first came out, I changed the words to fit my own needs and they're: "When I'm Out in the Woods . . . da dum da dum dum . . . I walk the way I wanna walk . . . " "When I'm out in the Woods . . . well, I never feel alone . . . " you get the picture.

So I'm singing this song in my head, and I'm able to just keep going, knowing I'm gonna make it to the other side, without turning my ankle in the dark, or walking into a tree, or having a branch poke me in the eye. I can hear the E Street Band playing in my head. And finally, I could see some light through the trees and could see where I was going just a little bit better. I just kept singing my song in my head and finally made it to the other side and I was just able to see my way home.

Anyway, thanks for channeling, Bruce, and getting me through a tough spot. You know, you missed out on me all those years ago, and I've since forgiven you for marrying Julianne.