A couple of weeks ago, I was having one of those days. I was irritated, frustrated, angry, and sad, all at the same time. I had tried to be kind and reasonable, but when that didn’t work, I decided to go for a long drive.
As I set out from home, I didn’t have any particular destination in mind. All I knew was that I needed to spend time behind the wheel, enjoying the sights and sounds. I filled up with gas and hit the open road. It was a sunny winter day. The snow glistened on the fields as I headed out to the country. I started to relax. As I drove, an itinerary popped into my head. And so it was that I ended up on this beautiful country road along the Ottawa River. Ice fishermen had set up their shacks on the river. Some shacks appeared to be quite fancy! I don’t get the attraction of fishing, never mind ice fishing, but it was a beautiful scene to observe.
By the time I returned a few hours later, I felt calm. There is something about going for long drives with the music cranked up loud that soothes me.
Music and cars: a great combo
When I combine music and a drive, all kinds of amazing things happen. Going for a drive has always relaxed me. I don’t mind driving for hours. As a matter of fact, I hate to be the passenger. I get bored!
Ever since I was young, automobiles have held a special place in my heart. In high school, I’d spend hours at the library reading car magazines. As soon as I turned 16, I signed up for driving lessons. At that time, dad had a clunker of a Buick. A real lemon that would literally guzzle gas. But, it had a very powerful V8! That car had great acceleration and I loved driving it. A few years later, he traded it in for a tiny little car. The new car had a 4 speed manual transmission. I did not know how to drive a stick shift. A school buddy gave me some rudimentary lessons in her mom’s VW. When we went to pick up the new car, my dad tells me that he wanted me to drive it home! What? Yeah, turns out that his stick shift driving skills were non-existent! After several stalls and much honking from other drivers, I finally made it home. I was not impressed with my dad! Eventually, my driving skills improved and I loved driving that little beast.
Vroom!
Over the years, I’ve driven all kinds of cars from sedate sedans to some dreadful vans. I even drove a hybrid, which was an awesome car. My dream car was, and continues to be, a Porsche. The look and sound of this beautifully engineered car make my heart skip a beat. I’ve never owned a Porsche, and I don’t think I ever will. And that’s ok. For the past 3 years, I’ve been very fortunate to drive a beautiful driving machine and every single time I get behind the wheel of this beast of a car, I feel incredibly grateful. This car handles like a dream. It hugs curves, it accelerates like a beast, and is incredibly smooth. As an added bonus, it has red leather seats! What’s not to love?
The power of music
One other thing I love is music. I always have music playing, whether at home, work or driving. I work best when I have music in the background. Give me music any day over TV. From classic rock, to jazz, to pop, to country, music has the ability to soothe, inspire, and motivate me. Hearing certain songs takes me back to particular moments in time. Many tunes remind me of people, places and experiences. Whatever the moment, I have a song I associate with the moment.
Sadly, I’ve never learned to play an instrument. I can’t sing to save my life either. But that doesn’t stop me from enjoying music in all its glory. Lyrics, melody, and harmony come together to create a unique auditory experience. The only requirement I have is that the music be commercial free. Satellite radio is one of my “must haves” in my car.
So, next time you’re feeling frustrated, overwhelmed even a little bored, might I humbly suggest you hit the open road? Crank those tunes while you’re at it. I guarantee that you will come back with a refreshed state of mind.
