The Long and Winding Road

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Added 17th April 2025, 9:21 pm
By Dave

The Long and Winding Road

Here I am, sitting in my chair, contemplating the future, while the shadow of the past, looms large over my head. Storm clouds gather while the wind blows and the rain is falling. The chilling wind, whistling through the meanderings of my mind.

Of course, if you look out the window, it's a beautiful Spring day where the flowers are blooming and the sun is announcing, "No need to be thinking about winter, that's over, we're on the march to the good ole' summertime, with just a little shortcut through Spring."

Today is Thursday and only four days back I mowed my lawn, but now the dandelions stand, defiantly, like an army in all their yellow dandelion glory! Bee's are buzzing and dancing their way from blossom to blossom. It's almost enough to snap me out of my darkened musings.

What is that old saying about "Don't let the grass grow under your feet." Must be true. Given the right conditions, it doesn't take long to happen, if you let it. Grass growing, I mean, and stagnation.

Either keep mowing the grass or start moving.

Which brings me to the storm in my head and the song that keeps coming to mind. It's the old Beatles song, the tenth track on the Beatles album “Let It Be” and as well as a single in May 1970, a month after the Beatles' break-up.

The song, "The Long and Winding Road"

"The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before
It always leads me here
Lead me to your door

The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day
Why leave me standing here?
Let me know the way"

Many times I've been alone
And many times I've cried
Anyway, you'll never know
The many ways I've tried

And still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long, long time ago
Don't leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door

But still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long, long time ago
Don't keep me waiting here
Lead me to your door

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

(Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney 1968)

The song is, to me, partly a lament but also a statement of hope. I think it's about life's journey. People say "Life's short", but when your in the middle of things, the road can seem very, very long. Long enough to gain some experience, but maybe not all you need to see the full picture.

I find, life gets confusing, and then it resolves a bit. The clouds roll back and there's sunshine. But later the clouds roll back in and things get all balled up into another tangled mess. It's a cycle. Wash, rinse, repeat. Except we aren't in really in charge. We are thrown into a tumble dryer and someone else controls the settings and the timer.

I think I'm mixing too many metaphors.

Image title "Midnight of My mind"

You may also have picked up from the last couple of blog posts that I'm probable talking about myself… and you'd be correct.

I've been working seriously for the last 13 years on creating an art business. At times, I have thought, "Yes! Things are happening, it's just a matter of time!" But time has not proved to be my friend and as it has gone by, I feel more and more like I am wasting a lot of it… and going nowhere. Now I'm talking about the business aspect of my company "Art and Imagination of David L Friend." I, myself, have not remained stagnant or fallen back, but in all this running an art "business" I am on a treadmill or stationary bicycle… going nowhere.

If you have been reading my Forum posts about the "Art World" (capital A) and the general direction of modern art and artists, you will understand some of the background of my growing dissatisfaction with trying to fit into what is the industry.

I'm not a rebel. I don't think I'm crazy, depressed or unstable. Hate and anger, angst and a sense of meaninglessness of life are not attitudes I strive for or are comfortable in or being around. I'm not a sign carrying activist, my hair is not some rainbow color… and it's not just because I'm bald!

I am, for the most part, a nice, quiet person who likes creativity. I've made it through seventy two years of the long and winding road. I hope to add a few more miles before I arrive at journeys end and it's lights out for me. But I want to use what's left of my time in a productive way, not just going in circles making the rut deeper.

So I've decided to put a period on my business efforts.

If someone asks about buying a piece of art, I'll still do that, but that's not what I'm aiming for anymore. I'll be closing my eBay store and Washington based business before too long. I'll be selling my house and moving to another state. The "Art and Imagination of David L Friend" website will probably remain although I will be removing all the art selling references and tools. There will be changes.

I have one commission to finish and then I'll consider myself free.

I'm just going to do art when I want to, creating what seems interesting and challenging. Share what I feel is important and set myself free from trying to make my peg fit in some predetermined slot shape.

… I do think, now, perhaps… the rain has stopped, the dark clouds are parted a bit, and there may be some sunlight trying to break through… let me see if I can find where this next long and winding road will take me?

Dave