Early-Morning Drives

Navigating Changing Moods + Seasons

Nov 11, 2025

Since I started emerging from my agoraphobic cave back in February, I’ve developed a habit of taking early-morning drives. The city is quieter then. Less traffic, less noise, less pressure to “be on” or “get it right.”

The quiet dawn hours remind me that I’m still part of a much larger world, one that continues to groove and move, even when I’m lost in my own head.

These drives have become their own kind of therapy. I queue up a playlist that mirrors my mood or helps me shift it, depending on the day.

This morning, my playlist was stripped down to just one song on repeat: “Drive” by Incubus. No skips, no shuffles. Just that familiar late-90s acoustic guitar riff looping on my car radio like a mantra.

This alt-rock emo anthem hits deeper than most self-help books and can feel more effective than talk therapy.

“Sometimes I feel the fear of
Uncertainty stinging clear
And I, I can’t help but ask myself
How much I let the fear take the wheel and steer.”

There’s something about the song’s blend of honesty and vulnerability that cuts straight through my thick head and lands squarely in my tender heart. It’s a reminder that fear doesn’t always have to be in the driver’s seat.

Sometimes all it takes is a quick drive with a little car karaoke to help me reconnect with my own light.

Finding my light again. That’s what I’ve been wrestling with lately. Fear has a way of sneaking into my driver’s seat and convincing me it knows a better route. And for too long, I’ve not only let it navigate, I’ve let it steer.

“It’s driven me before,
And it seems to have a vague
Haunting mass appeal
But lately I’m beginning to find that I
Should be the one behind the wheel”

Fear is a seductive liar that way. It feels safe. Familiar. But it’s mostly just bullshit.

When the seasons change—and they always do—I find my mood changing too. Sometimes subtly, sometimes like a switch flipped overnight.

Morning drives give me a chance to notice those shifts before they spiral. A chance to breathe and course-correct. A chance to remember that no matter what’s coming at me, I’m still the one choosing my direction and speed.

“Whatever tomorrow brings, I’ll be there
With open arms and open eyes.”

There’s something beautifully reassuring about that mindset. It’s not about trying to control tomorrow or perfect today. It’s about simply showing up. About being awake, aware, and willing to begin again, no matter how many times it takes.

The older I get, the more I realize how easy it is to slip into autopilot—to “be one of the hive,” as the lyrics put it. But there’s a quiet rebellion in choosing your own way, in turning off the GPS, in trusting that your instincts still know the way.

“So if I decide to waver my
Chance to be one of the hive
Will I choose water over wine
And hold my own and drive?”

Some mornings, I drive towards the hills just to watch the sunrise. Other days, I stick to the side streets, windows cracked, letting the cool air do its work. Each time, it’s a reminder that life’s rhythm keeps going. With or without my permission.

But when I’m the one behind the wheel, at least I can feel the rhythm.

So here’s to early-morning drives. To facing uncertainty with open eyes. To choosing your own route, whatever the weather. And to remembering that “When I drive myself, my light is found.”

Keep calm and drive on!
Clint 🌈✌️

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FYC = FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

ON THIS DAY = NOVEMBER 11

BIRTHDAYS

1821 = Fyodor Dostoevsky = Russian writer and philosopher
1863 = Paul Signac = French painter and educator
1868 = Édouard Vuillard = French painter and academic
1872 = Maude Adams = American actor and stage designer 🌈
1885 = George S. Patton = American general
1896 = Carlos Eduardo Castañeda = Mexican-American historian
1896 = Shirley Graham Du Bois = American playwright, composer, and activist
1901 = Sam Spiegel = American film producer
1922 = Kurt Vonnegut = American writer
1925 = Jonathan Winters = American comedian, actor, and artist
1960 = Stanley Tucci = American actor and director
1962 = Demi Moore = American actor, director, and producer
1964 = Calista Flockhart = American actor
1964 = Philip McKeon = American actor
1966 = Peaches = Canadian musician and producer
1969 = Carson Kressley = American fashion designer and tv personality 🌈
1974 = Leonardo DiCaprio = American actor and producer
1986 = Jon Batiste = American singer
1989 = Adam Rippon = American figure skater and media personality 🌈

EVENTS

1921 = The Tomb of the Unknowns is dedicated by U.S. President Warren G. Harding at Arlington National Cemetery.
1926 = The United States Numbered Highway System is established.
1930 = Patent number US1781541 is awarded to Albert Einstein and Leó Szilárd for their invention, the Einstein refrigerator.
1934 = The Shrine of Remembrance is opened in Melbourne, Australia.
1950 = In Los Angeles, Harry Hay, Rudi Gernreich, Dale Jennings, Bob Hull and Chuck Rowland, hold the first meeting of the “Society of Fools.” The weekly gatherings lead to the formation of the Mattachine Society.
1985 = An Early Frost, the first AIDS-themed tv movie, premieres on NBC.
1994 = Interview With The Vampire is released in theaters.

HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES

PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY

KURT VONNEGUT = PORTRAIT OF A WRITER AS A YOUNG MAN

“The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake.”
Kurt Vonnegut