Notes: The last time I hit a multiple of 100 in this project, I was hiding out in quarantine at my parents' house in New Hampshire. This weekend, as I prepared to crest 600, I flew over their state and thought of the months we spent with them weathering the thickest part of our collective calamity. They brought Rebecca and me such a sense of comfort and safety.
As I peered out of the airplane window, I snapped a picture of the majestic Lake Winnipesaukee. I could see the location of Camp Belknap, where I felt such a similar sense of security and belonging as a child and young adult. As I put the finishing touches on this song, my old camp friend, Will, sent me a message to let me know that his son, Gideon, had constructed a model of Mount Everest. He shared a video so I could see it. It is an excellent model. It gave me the inspiration I needed to crest this mountain another time, so this song is dedicated to Gideon.
Our flight from JFK took us to Maine to visit friends to celebrate my 37th birthday. I started this project when I was 25. I moved to Brooklyn when I was 28. I got married when I was 30. When we landed, we were surrounded by friends I have known since I was 18, and the children they have grown and protected since then. The ages give way to one another so often. Another age is about to give way. That's where this song comes from.
Thanks to my wife, my parents, my family, my collaborators, and my friends. Thanks especially to those of you who have come back to listen 600 times. Thanks most especially to any of you who have ever listened at all. See you next week.
lyrics
One time in your life
An end or beginning
Each age has a face
Its own shape like the living
Where do the ages go?
One day you arrive
Emerge from the ether
The sun in your eyes
The drive of a seeker
Where does the seeker go?
And what path must they follow?
The few follow only what's true
The moment of truth
Rolls in just like thunder
Where do all the moments go?
And what if anything at all could be done to hang onto them?
The shape changes ever and then