Monday, October 31, 2005
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Poetry and other things
So, Friday night I went to this poetry open mic night. It was in the ghetto kind of, over near Popeye's (yesssss). I didn't get up and drop some rhymes or anything, nor did I snap at any time. But it opened me up to this whole world I have been missing for years. And I'm not really even talking about poetry.
The room was filled with beautiful, thug lookin men. They just looked like any other dudes in the neighborhood, until they got onstage. They talked about things that mean something. One guy's poem talked about not being from a broken home, because he never had one. Another's, his name was Church. He's a real big dude with long dreads and glasses. His poem was about abortion and even as someone who's relatively pro-choice, I almost cried. But let's not get emotional and lose focus here. Hot black dudes that bring some deep shit?
HE-LLO! Where has this been all my life!?
Instead of throwing up gang signs or running around screaming GGGGG Unit, they hollered out NPG.... Nashville Poetry Group. POETRY! Almost sounds lame, but it was cute.
Then, I remembered I was there on a date and tried to stop my roving eye. Luckily, he turned out to be one of the best ones.
The room was filled with beautiful, thug lookin men. They just looked like any other dudes in the neighborhood, until they got onstage. They talked about things that mean something. One guy's poem talked about not being from a broken home, because he never had one. Another's, his name was Church. He's a real big dude with long dreads and glasses. His poem was about abortion and even as someone who's relatively pro-choice, I almost cried. But let's not get emotional and lose focus here. Hot black dudes that bring some deep shit?
HE-LLO! Where has this been all my life!?
Instead of throwing up gang signs or running around screaming GGGGG Unit, they hollered out NPG.... Nashville Poetry Group. POETRY! Almost sounds lame, but it was cute.
Then, I remembered I was there on a date and tried to stop my roving eye. Luckily, he turned out to be one of the best ones.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Why you should all move to the South
Yesterday, I had such an "i love the south" day. Honestly, they're infrequent. I really like living here, but it's rare that I LOVE living here. But yesterday, I had two assignments: go to a gathering of Hurricane Katrina evacuees and talk to Louisiana State fans about yesterday's game against Vanderbilt.
At the evacuee gathering, I met several interesting characters. There was a woman who had suffered so much abuse in her life and felt blessed to end up in Tennessee. She got her very first birthday cake in the shelter. She hugged me about 8 times. Then there were these college students who were from Nashville but went to college in New Orleans. We all know that college is more like home than home... they wanted to go HOME. Then there was a slam poet talking about being left to die in New Orleans, the joke that is FEMA and smoking cigarettes just to get the taste of the flooded city from his mouth. And of course, how he felt when he found out that plane he got on was going to Nashville... "Woo, hoo, we're gon' meet Willie Nelson! And Dolly Parton, who I'd like to hug."
Then, on to LSU fans... now, having gone to Salve, we don't really know anything about college team loyalty. But yesterday this whole city was packed with people who drove 6, 8, even 16 hours for the game. I barely even saw any Vanderbilt fans, and they're the home team. I met a guy who hasn't missed an LSU game, home or away, for 24 years. He lost three homes and his business, everything he owns, in the hurricane. But he wasn't about to miss a party.
In short, these Southerners know what's important. It's not stuff. It's being alive... and a good party.
P.S. Love to hear what y'all are doin. :)
At the evacuee gathering, I met several interesting characters. There was a woman who had suffered so much abuse in her life and felt blessed to end up in Tennessee. She got her very first birthday cake in the shelter. She hugged me about 8 times. Then there were these college students who were from Nashville but went to college in New Orleans. We all know that college is more like home than home... they wanted to go HOME. Then there was a slam poet talking about being left to die in New Orleans, the joke that is FEMA and smoking cigarettes just to get the taste of the flooded city from his mouth. And of course, how he felt when he found out that plane he got on was going to Nashville... "Woo, hoo, we're gon' meet Willie Nelson! And Dolly Parton, who I'd like to hug."
Then, on to LSU fans... now, having gone to Salve, we don't really know anything about college team loyalty. But yesterday this whole city was packed with people who drove 6, 8, even 16 hours for the game. I barely even saw any Vanderbilt fans, and they're the home team. I met a guy who hasn't missed an LSU game, home or away, for 24 years. He lost three homes and his business, everything he owns, in the hurricane. But he wasn't about to miss a party.
In short, these Southerners know what's important. It's not stuff. It's being alive... and a good party.
P.S. Love to hear what y'all are doin. :)
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