The Climax To My Summer, Part Two

Throughout this past summer I had been attempting to convince my parents to allow me to get dreadlocks and on a Wednesday, a few weeks prior to the beginning of my junior year, my mom and I found ourselves on the east side at Paulette’s Professional Hair Braiding & Weaving. To contribute to the large sum of money my parents paid for the dreads, rubber bands, shampoo, shower cap and beeswax, I was to do a weekend’s worth of yard work. I looked with anticipation toward working, the past few weeks had been full emptiness and lethargy and as Voltaire’s Candide explains “man was put into the Garden of Eden… with the idea that he should work the land; and this proves that man was not born to be idle.”

 

There is a speaker system in our house that works for iPods and is relatively portable; I also have similar speakers but the quality of my dad’s (the other speakers) makes his, by far, the better. Realizing that my usage of the speakers would go by unnoticed because no one was home and despite the clarity of my dad’s wishes for me not to move those speakers, I took them onto the back porch so I could listen to Russian Rock and Feminist Pop while I labored. That afternoon, unexpectedly, my dad came home. He was frustrated, but I was surprised at how openly and eloquently he expressed his feelings, without indignantly lecturing me. He then took me to lunch where we continued to talk. It was an enlightening and depressing conversation for myself. I learned that I’m apathetic for basic and reasonable rules; that I am incredibly dishonest to my parents; that in being dishonest to others causes me to be dishonest to myself- therefore not being one with the moment, the Tao, Spirit, my infinite self or what have you.

 

Upon returning to the backyard and work I brought out the alternate speakers and played India.Arie’s CD “Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship.” I had purchased this CD a few years ago on a trip out to California with my family. It reminded me of myself.

 

India had beautifully composed each lyric so that it was interwoven with her incredible wisdom. Each song and the order that India arranged them in took me step-by-step through important life lessons. The sounds reminded me of walking along the gorgeous San Luis Obispo coast- the skyline and sunsets; the warmth of the sand forming around my feet; the moist, salty and indescribable scent that magnetically draws one to the ocean.

 

Her lyrics brought me back to the times my sisters, parents and I would sing and dance during car rides, passed romances (old and recent), long summer days, my self respect and young hopefulness, the motives behind getting dreadlocks and so much more. Midway through the CD “India’Song” played. I instantly recognized it and remembered strolling along a pier with this song playing. “Too much hypocrisy in this old southern town for me…” she began. The first verse reminded me of a trip to Mississippi earlier this summer, where I, too, had felt the spirit of a tree and it’s history. Where I, too, wondered if this was “the tree where my brother was hung.” Meeting Awanda (the tree) was extraordinary and memorable. She let me lie in her branches as I read from the Tao Te Ching; she talked with me, helping me comprehend what I was absorbing from the book; she had the softest tone and was the most patient thing I’ve met.

 

The attack on racism that is a part of the song’s theme is even related to what I plan on doing this year. Through Students for Progressive Causes and Student Government I intend advocate for Central American Immigrants and put together a series of workshops about race.

 

The chorus described where it is I have dreamed about all summer. I had recently come to understand that my personal journey is to live as a hunter and gatherer in Nepal. And although India.Arie’s song is about India, it is not the country that is important, but rather the geography and spirit of the land. The lyrics “I wanna go where the mountains are high enough to echo my song; I wanna go where the rivers run deep enough to drown my shame; I wanna go where the stars shine bright enough to show me the way; I wanna go where the wind calls my name” share in my sentiments for the area; reminding me that’s where I want to be. This is one of the first songs she’s written and is very special to her, I would like to be able to describe to her what this song means to me.

 

Basically, the song brought me back to who I am and what I need- an important thing particularly because I was hardly honest with myself at the time. Then I preceded to cry- oh the sap that I am.

Author's Note

Reviews

[InkBlack]

Decent piece
Actually it's very good. I liked it.
However, taking your dad's iPod speakers outside is NOT being dishonest, it's simply being disobedient.
Whatever, it's a nit-picky detail and I just thought I'd point that out.

I actually like India's Song, it's beautiful, well-written and inspiring. I can see why it means so much to you. Surprised that I like it? Well, I don't just like dark, scary, heavy music. I like some mellower tunes as well :)