Jesus & Tom Waits

(written sometime in 2008-ish. give or take a few years) (also, this reads even better listening to Tom Waits, “Ol’ 55”. Click here to listen.)

I was driving down an old country road and saw a man who looked like Jesus, the Americanized version with long, brown hippie hair, no shirt, and cut abs. He was strolling along the side of the road listening to his ipod.

I was a female version, with shirt on, driving slowly along listening to music with the sunroof open and all the windows down.

“I see you forgot your shoes too,” I said when he was alongside my passenger window. It took him a minute to register what I was saying, then he glanced in the car at my bare feet. He nodded with a slow smile.

“Music sounds better in bare feet,” he said.

“What are you listening to?” I asked, my car crawling along next to him making crunching sounds on the rough pavement.

“Tom Waits,” he answered.

I pushed a few buttons on my disc changer, if I can’t play vinyl in my car, I’ll gladly listen to a CD. I started playing an acoustic version of Tom Waits, “Ol’ 55”.

It was a great choice. I nodded and gave him a thumbs up as I drove off, riding with lady luck.

I glanced in the rearview mirror and knew Jesus and I were sharing a soundtrack to this enchanted day.