It’s been a few days now, I miss
Brazil with every bit of me. Apart from having the most amazing last few days
there and meeting interesting people. Am listening to ‘How ‘Bout us’ Champaign, the urge to send it out makes me feel all cheesy and greasy so I will pass.
You know the pure cancer in me is devoted to a life of feeling and fueling her
emotional drum. So last night Janet and I, well not really last night- every
night since I have been back have spent time talking about emotions and
feelings and men- oh men! When in
Brazil, one knows for sure that men and woman cannot live without each other; I
guess I always knew this Brazil kind of solidified the idea for me. Last week I spent a few evenings with seven
Nigerian Men and a Brazilian man at a Café in Pelourinho. They talked I mostly
listened, on one occasion we decided to head to Sankofa an African club, for the Afro-Beats night where we danced the night away. I had a long chat with a friend for once in that week I felt
like a normal woman- intelligent, spiritual and deep conversation leaving my soul fully satisfied, I love human beings. On reflecting I know for
sure that God does look out for me, with a full heart I came to the end of my 21 day fast and meditation which I have been doing under the guidance of
the Chopra center.
As I was saying, Janet and I have
been doing a lot of talking and with her being at a new stage of her life, she really
has come alive. We both have. We are learning to embrace who we are as
individuals and appreciate out weaknesses and strengths as definitions of us.
Am also more aware of the fact that I am more spirit than body and the 21 days
have nourished the deeper me.
With Kimara’s coming, and me not getting younger am starting to think
seriously of having children, so the most part has been day dreaming of
children and my dreams being interrupted by the plans I have for the next few
months and coming year. Am excited about the next leg of my life, I want to be
able to enjoy the next three years whatever
task I give myself or wherever I decide to settle down. As we figured
out last night, being near water is what makes me come alive and will probably
be where I am most successful, Salvador is pure temptation now, with all the
friends and love I have there. When I was leaving for Brazil I remember
mentioning that I was somehow looking for a place to settle and raise children
and now am sure I have found it.
On a completely different note, Annie
sent me an article today about Tyler Perry and Spike Lee; of course she knows
how much I dig Tyler Perry which is why. The last paragraph of the article
caught my eye and I decided to respond to it with my own analysis of this
relationship.
“Perry, uncomfortable with rage
as a fundamental part of our humanity, fully personalizes rage and always
provides a romantic resolve to it. Lee trades on rage: it seems that he wants
to inflame Black energies to awaken our sleeping Black collective consciousness
against corporate interests that produce economic injustice and the lack of
racial parity. He cannot see, however, that without a movement to channel that
rage, it runs the risk of violence and anger; not peace and equality. Maybe the
question we should pose to ourselves and both of these artists is how do we
effectively channel Black rage? This might help us all reinterpret and rethink
our capacity towards rage, something our art too often irrepressibly denies or
irresponsibly ignites” http://www.urbancusp.com/newspost/tyler-perry-vs-spike-lee-black-identity-claims-in-film/#
In my analysis, I like to look at
it Tyler's way, resolve rage in ways that suit the individual, it is not easy
to deal with rage as a group. People have to learn to reinvent
themselves. Spike needs to go past the whole racial discussion; it's pretty old
no matter how real situations are today. Do not get me wrong, am aware of
racial prejudice and still face it today however after being in this world for
over 30 years I realize that there comes a point when you have to learn to
learn not to ignore but to see yourself in a different light. People are just
people; they often take you for what you present. I remember my dad always
said, “If you put yourself down, the world has no time lifting you up. So think
worthy of yourself and respect yourself and the world will do the same.” I
think African Americans need to start viewing themselves in a light that
transforms them from believing they are less than to realizing that they are
accepted under the legal framework and use this avenue. Even if some people may
not approve of it, it is up to them to change who they are because at least
they do have avenues to rethink who they are. What I think Spike lee does is
continue to engage issues of race without a practical progressive resolution-
Tyler on the other hand takes the issues away from racial discussion to helping
us understand the cultural make up and lifestyle of the African American which
then allows us to start to appreciate who they are and realize that there are
dysfunctions we cannot run away from in every society. I sure hope the two can
work together, however I think Spike Lee is too proud to be the better man
while my guess is Tyler might consider welcoming the idea- he is a lot more
open minded.
