Midnight Train to Georgia

I had a quiet weekend. Very quiet. My friends abandoned me. Luckily I have my housemate to depend on to. But then, he also had to work.

I was all alone again.

In an act of desperation, few ‘bore busters’ circled around my head, is it going to be swimming? Or jogging would do the trick, how about ironing? washing? cleaning? chatting?….nah!..

Instead, I grabbed my keys and headed to the office to clear up some works.

In my car, while driving, over the radio, I heard ‘Midnight train to Georgia’ by Gladys Knight & the Pips. I was super exited. You see, I just looove the song. I mean I am so in love with the song that I once attempted (read: struggled) over one karaoke session with friends. (Go tell them Bad!)

Anyway as I hummed along the tune carelessly (I was told my singing posed danger to Malaysian traffic), I gradually realized ‘this is such a sad song’. It’s about broken dreams, picking up pieces and going back to the arms that love who loves you.

L .A. proved too much for the man
So he's leavin' the life he's come to know
He said he's goin' back to find what's left of his world
The world he left behind not so long ago

He's leavin' on that midnight train to Georgia
Said he's goin' back to find the simpler place and time
I'll be with him on that midnight train to Georgia
I'd rather live in his world than live without him in mine (very the DJ kan!)

The song really set me back to my own frail existence and how suddenly I felt so affected by it. My dreams were shaken and the reality crept in.

He kept dreamin' that someday he'd be a star
But he sho' found out the hard way that dreams don't always come true
So he's pawned all his hopes and he even sold his own car
Bought a one-way ticket back to the life he once knew

Questions pounded my head.

“Will I be ended up like this poor guy?”
“If dreams don’t always come true, what should I believe in then?”
“When should I know it’s time to stop trying?”
“How do I know if I am in the right path?”

As I was driving lazily in a rainy Sunday afternoon, suddenly I became wary of where I was heading.