Keeping time with Townes

When I'm out walking, a majority of the young people I pass are listening to portable music through earbuds. Anyway, I assume it's music they're listening to since they always seem to exist in a different dimension from the one I'm in.

I don't own the equipment to play music while I walk, and probably wouldn't even if I did, since I want to hear cars that may be bearing down on me from behind. Still, I discovered that walking a long time can be monotonous and that musical rhythm, like counting cadence, helps me establish and maintain the proper steady pace. My alternative to earbuds is to memorize the lyrics to certain songs I love, then sing them to myself mentally while I walk. The songs I choose must have the correct tempo, and must be ones I love enough that I won't get bored singing (thinking) them repeatedly.

For the past week or so, the songs dominating my mental playlist have been "Can't Be Really Gone" and "Pancho and Lefty." The latter song was written by the late, great Townes Van Zandt, but the best-known version was performed by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard years ago. Both songs are excellent examples of gifted writers telling stories and painting word pictures with a few short verses. I'd give almost anything to possess the same skill with words and melody.