Listening to Joni Mitchell songs

Standing in a crowded elevator this morning with the iPod in my pocket, I was listening to a Joni Mitchell song for the nth time and her lyrics still make me feel ... human. Sad and happy at the same time. It's almost impossible to explain, especially for the stodgy science student that I am, still waiting for my artistic gene to kick in.

"I feel your legs under the table
Leaning into mine
I feel renewed
I feel disabled
By these bonfires in my spine ....

I fear the sentence of this solitude
200 years on hold
Oh and all we ever wanted
Was just to come in from the cold"

I was introduced to Joni Mitchell's Night Ride Home album by an ex-boyfriend who had the advantage (and all the benefits) of 7 years over me. It's amazing how I managed to attribute the sensitivity, soulfulness and lyricism of the entire album to his personality but that's what wimmen do when they're 21 and dumb, I guess. Looking back, I think he could have been as sensitive and soulful as I thought but he was certainly very good at concealing it. "Sensitive-Lite", as the husband would say.

There really should be a Registry of Ex-Boyfriends, where men who wish to date will have to register with their CVs and references from ex-girlfriends/ ex-boyfriends. For this guy, I would have said "Has an exaggerated view of own soulfulness. Does not admit to extruding nostril hair. I have 6 of his CDs and I'm not giving them back."