"May the wind take your troubles away"

For as much as I joked about becoming a moving guy, I seriously wouldn't mind hitting the road as a truck driver.

This past week illustrates the reasons. When I departed Columbus before sunrise last Wednesday, no one would have known it was August, because once Interstate 70 lined up in front of me and the wind tossed the car gently, I shivered (yeah, after weeks of 90s, Appalachia offered a trace of crisp autumnal morning). I never turned on the air conditioner in the car, and barely broke a sweat (a special moment for a sweathog such as myself).

Being amazed by simplicities helps me enjoy the road ... yes, even despite my gripes, in New Jersey (crossing in Trenton instead of on the turnpike was much more pleasant). The drive to the Tom Waits show in Louisville was much the same; when my fellow concertgoer crashed out for the drive south of Cinci, I dropped the windows, gave the accelerator a little extra pressure and forgot about the semis barreling up behind me. I just want to drive, and not fear the reality of sticking to one place.


Why entertain a trucker's life? Because your problems have an easier time catching up to you if you stop moving. Of course, maybe their problems just ride shotgun, since they're on the road so much.

Appendix:
Full disclosure: Subject line comes from Son Volt's "Windfall."