Squalls out on the gulf stream
Big storms coming soon
I passed out in my hammock
God, I slept way past noon
Stood up and tried to focus
I hoped I wouldn't have to look far
I knew I could use a Bloody Mary
So I stumbled next door to the bar
And now I must confess
I could use some rest
I can't run at this pace very long
Yes, it's quite insane
I think it hurts my brain
But it cleans me out and then I can go on
There's something about this Sunday
It's a most peculiar gray
Strolling down the avenue
That's known as A1A
And I was feeling tired, then I got inspired
And I knew that it wouldn't last long
So all alone, I walked back home, sat on my beach
And then I made up this song
And now I must confess
I could use some rest
I can't run at this pace very long
Yes, it's quite insane
I think it hurts my brain
But it cleans me out and then I can go on
Well, the wind is blowin' harder now
Fifty knots or there abouts
There's white caps on the ocean
And I'm watching for water spouts
It's time to close the shutters
It's time to go inside
In a week I'll be in gay Paree
That's a mighty long airplane ride
And now I must confess
I could use some rest
I can't run at this pace very long
Yes, it's quite insane
I think it hurts my brain
But it cleans me out and then I can go on
~ Jimmy Buffett
Hurricanes and earthquakes dominate today's news. And, humans that we are, we try to find explanations for the post-eclipse assault nature has inflicted upon us. Yes, of course, there's climate change. And no, I don't think "God" is punishing us for anything. And yet, that thinking prevails in pockets of society, emboldened by questionable people of faith. In the pre-Irma days, a friend suggested this song to me for the blog, and although I couldn't fit it into my already determined setlist, I was pretty certain there would be another opportunity. And behold, along came Maria. "Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season" appears on Jimmy Buffett's second album, his 1974 release, A1A, named for the "Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway" that travels for 328.9 miles along Florida's east coast all the way to Key West, scene of Irma's devastation.
I think the lyrics to this song are somewhat pedestrian and self-indulgent, but I like the title, and for that reason, it got my attention today. Because, clearly, one cannot reason with hurricane season. And the hurricane season is not over yet. As I am writing this, I am listening to a news program dedicated solely to the hurricane in the Caribbean and the earthquake in Mexico City. So much tragedy hurled at us in the last month! And it begs the question: "What's next?" And will what happens next be a natural disaster . . . or a nuclear event perpetrated by an incompetent and psychologically damaged tyrant? (I'll let you decide to which one of the several leaders who meet this definition I'm referring.) As our eloquent leader so often says, "We'll see. We'll see." The man exudes elocution and confidence.
I am not a Parrothead, but I always enjoy listening to Jimmy Buffett. To me, it's no surprise that he is so popular among so many people. He has a great voice, a good sense of humor, and he sings about tropical paradises, which, for many of us, are dreamlike places that we think of when we are shoveling snow. I have only seen Buffett perform live once, a couple of years ago, and as entertaining as it was, I doubt that I will want to go to another Parrothead convention anytime soon. Those people do know how to party! And I have to tip my hat to grown men who are not embarrassed to wear coconut shell bras and grass mini-skirts in public.
Before yesterday's earthquake in Mexico, I booked a place on the Riviera Maya in the Yucatan for a holiday getaway with my family later this year. It is always a gamble to make vacation plans when weather issues cannot be predicted. If Mother Nature decides that I cannot have the holiday adventure that I've planned, I guess I can always put on some Jimmy Buffett tunes, drink a Bloody Mary, and dream about coconuts and grass skirts.
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