Company In My Back

The novelty of the heat wave has definitely worn off. The heat feels endless, heavy, unbeatable. I headed out of Davis Square into the rising sun. This path has a curious collection of toys, murals and staged play scenes. The kinds adults create and might creep kids out. Slightly macabre. There are two large wooden animals, a giraffe and elephant along the path, both life size in scale. This path gives me a sense of Willy Wonka in his later years. Three days of heat seemed to beat the floral out of most flowers. It's quiet save the the occasional plane high overhead.

I caught myself thinking about aging again, specifically about small stuff I hope I can keep doing, like squatting down to get the right angle for a shot. My knee’s been acting up, and it got me wondering if I’ll still be able to get the kind of photos I want later in life. Extra motivation for my trip to the gym after my post walk coffee.

There’s this nice unspoken rhythm to mornings here—bikers, runners, walkers all kind of sharing the same lane, moving in sync without needing to say anything. It’s got a quiet community vibe to it.

I’ve got a few rules I try to stick to on my walks. One is that when the path crosses a street, I always make eye contact with the driver before stepping out—not just for safety, but because it feels like basic respect. I try not to be that person who assumes cars will stop. I also make a point to give a quick wave as a thank-you.

I'm a huge Wilco fan and you may see a few song names pop up as titles in these little missives. The opening of the song sounds to me the rhythm of my walking today and the sense of community on the path lends it self well to the title. The lyrics of course are a thing of their own. "I move so slow, a steady crushing hand, Holy shit there's a company in my back" Give it a listen.