Hot Enough

Crossroads

I went down to the crossroads
Fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above for mercy
"Save me, if you please!"

— Robert Johnson, Crossroads 1936

I walked out into a cooler air this morning. It was as if someone had finally found the switch to turn down the awful heat of the last month or so. I stood there in relief and took the deepest breath I had taken all summer.

Overhead there were high thin clouds—lace like. But below them, heavier, darker clouds moved fast in contrast, within some unseen stream of air.

The little dog beside me stopped abruptly and watched two coyotes move across the landscape, dark and at a good pace. She growled softly deep in her throat. More in awareness than aggression.

The world felt in transition. Like a whisper of Fall had leaked in. But there was still a lot of Summer to be done, so maybe it was just a pause. Like how one pauses when you approach a crossroads. You have to stop and make a decision. Do you turn left, turn right, or go straight? Or maybe even turn around.

I have encountered more than a few crossroads in my life, so I was only slightly shocked when suddenly a barrage of questions entered my brain all at once.

Had I lived fully enough? Had I tried hard enough? Had I dared often enough? Had I loved deeply enough? I guess the key word was enough.

I would like to think this morning’s pause was just for me, but I think we are all offered a pause here and there. Crossroads litter our paths.

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The coyotes moved on. The dog headed for the house looking back only once. The clouds began to dissipate, making way for another hot day.

And I headed into the studio to practice a bluesy riff on a blue guitar.

💙