Lifeline - A New Demo

A Metaphor For Stormy Times

Hi Folks,

I took a week in Chicago to do some writing. Some dear friends let me stay in their lovely place that looked out over Lake Michigan. It was wonderful to watch the sun come up over the water each morning and write songs all day! I’m posting a demo of a song that was co-written with my song buddy John McCutcheon, finished and recorded while I was in Chicago.

The song is based upon a story that Parker J. Palmer’s related in his beautiful book, A Hidden Wholeness. In years past, when a big snowstorm was coming in, the farmers who lived out on the plains would tie a rope from the house to the barn. In those white-out storm conditions, a person could get lost in their own backyard and freeze to death. In those dangerous times, that rope would allow them to continue to faithfully care for the animals that depended upon them and do the work that was needed. That rope was a lifeline, a way to stay connected to the safety and warmth of home while maintaining connection with their external work in the world.