A Gypsy Mind

Last night I drove the car knowing one of the tires was low so I was extra cautious and fixed on that fact, paying close attention to every turn in the road. And this morning I hopped in it again but forgot about the tire until I reached my destination, my mind instead roaming the road, singing along to the music on the stereo, noticing the fog obscuring the tops of buildings, driving faster. And nothing happened. Isn't that the case with worrying about things--you think about them too much and you miss out on everything else around you. One of my favorite Tom Petty lines is "most things I worry about, never happen anyway." Every time I find myself worrying about something I remind myself of that song. It does no good to over think things--that only leads to more worry and second guessing. I try to keep a state of mind that is wide and open--noticing the world as it passes. It's like playing pool. When I try too hard I always do poorly, but when I'm just playing casually, chatting with friends and hanging out, not paying too close attention to the game I always surprise myself by playing better. It's the same with writing--I can't write when I'm trying too hard to come up with something. The best writing happens organically, almost from out of nowhere. One would think that a serious, fixed mind is best in most cases, but I'm thinking the opposite is true. Better to be loose and carefree, not trying to control what's around you but observing and absorbing.