I’m not a zealous Tom Petty fan. In fact, usually when I hear his name now, the first thing I think of is the scene in “This Is 40” where Leslie Mann tells her daughter’s friend that he looks like “a miniature Tom Petty.” My Petty repertoire basically consists of this song and “Free Fallin’.” But I heard this song in a movie about a decade ago, and I often go back to it to feel more centered, or sometimes when I need a bite of humble pie.

[spotify https://play.spotify.com/track/6DRNqyHyHySMMS1GkXt1Jy]

One of the things I like about “Learning to Fly” is that it doesn’t strike me as being over-the-top positive, or particularly negative. It just is. Kind of like life.

My favorite part is the last verse:

Well some say life will beat you down
Break your heart, steal your crown
So I’ve started out for God knows where
I guess I’ll know when I get there

I feel like it’s the story of someone just trying the best he can, in the face of discouragement. He may not know where he’s going, but really, who does?