Trying to Teach Me

Something of a Song, no 13

The last verse of this song has a line about a storm that “chased us down the interstate.” Here’s what that’s about:

Living in the Midwest, and with extended family in New England, our late Decembers tend to involve long eastbound trips, either by plane or by station wagon. A few years ago we had planned to fly from Chicago to Hartford. Some nasty weather was moving ominously across the country that week, but up until the morning of our flight we thought we were going to be able to sneak out unscathed. Alas, just as we had buckled our seat belts for the trip up I-57 to Midway Airport, our phones vibrated with the news that our flight — the last one that could get us home by Christmas Eve — was cancelled. Thus began a spontaneous family highway adventure. Driving straight through, we arrived safely to my in-laws’ place in the wee hours of the next morning. There were some white knuckles along the way, both from the windblown freezing rain in Pennsylvania and from the unidentified smoldering smell that accompanied us most of the way. But the kids’ pure excitement about the journey carried us through, even after they dozed off in the back seat.

“Trying to Teach Me”

When I told you that night you found me in the hospital
that since I've been alive I've never been responsible
you did not blink an eye or even think of leaving
you stayed up half the night when I knew you should be sleeping

With my head in my hands and my elbows on the table
with my mind on what I've done and what I've not been able to
you climb on my knee and tap me on the shoulder
you pull me to my feet and suddenly it's over

When we go walking 
I always walk wrong
my steps are too quick
my stride is too long
you're trying to teach me
I never catch on
it's only a moment 
and then it's all gone

In the car as the storm chased us down the interstate
I knew that I was wrong to think that we could ever make it home in one piece
but then you yawned and closed your eyes
and as you fell asleep I felt like it might be alright

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