Morning Is My Destination

No matter when I go to bed, I try and rise most days by about 7am. I make coffee and feed the cat, give him his meds and/or subcutaneous fluids, and then settle here at my desk, where I click play on an album, EP or single. I sometimes use headphones, but of late I’ve been streaming music from my MacBook to the stereo. 

One cup of coffee begets two, of course, and then three or four over the course of the morning and early afternoon. If there’s a specific album to review, I listen to it over and over until I finish. On days when there aren’t, like today, I play a mix of old and new favorites, plus albums I plan to spotlight later in the week or month and/or recent releases I want to check out.

I listened to one of my favorite albums of the new millennium, Tift Merritt’s Another Country, early this morning, then Daughter of a Drum’s upcoming debut and singer-songwriter Sima Cunningham’s forthcoming High Roller. I also skipped my way through Apple Music’s weekly New Music Mix—the only playlist I bother with—and played Paige Plaisance’s Louisiana Lonely platter, which was released this past Friday. It’s my version of a breakfast buffet, if you will, with the music providing me with the nutrients I need. Elvis 1969 is on now. 

My mind runs free in the morning. My spirit, too.

By about 10, I start to write. Some essays flow easy, others not. Doesn’t matter. It’s a routine, a process, a mental exercise, something that I enjoy. Prior and even during, I surf the news sites, various blogs, plus Facebook, Threads and Instagram. (I skipped out on Twitter long ago.) I’m a master at willful distraction, as all writers are. MetaAI, as the image up top shows, is a hoot and a half!