Life and Death

We said goodbye to Coco's adopted father yesterday. He passed away last Sunday. He was a kind hearted man who loved basketball, golf, and fishing. I never saw him without a grin on his face. He was always so lighthearted I didn't even know that he was ill with cancer until earlier this year. He took it all in stride and lived each day with grace and wit. He leaves behind two daughtrs, a wife, and a lot of very sad fisherman and basketball players. He was the kind of guy who would play outlandish practical jokes or charm his way out of speeding ticket by razzing the officer....a man's man. He taught Coco how to smoke a salmon...which is insanely hilarious...because if you know Coco, she is just not the outdoorsie-lets catch a salmon and smoke it-type of girl. But that's what makes it so tragic. He opened his heart to her and welcomed her into his home. She became his daughter and it makes me cry just knowing how deeply she will miss him. At least he didn't suffer as much as he could have. He had more good days than bad and when it comes down to it, isn't that what we're all kind of striving to do....live our lives with as much joy is as possible?

On my way home from the service, I got a call from from my friend Sunny. Though Sunny was a little under the weather, she really wanted to go to the African American Film Festival at Langston Hughes. I didn't have any real plans, and I could do with some cheering up, so we went to the Seattle premiere of the movie This is the Life. I LOVE THIS MOVIE...LOVE! I will be buying this movie when it comes out in September. It's just what I needed to remember the good stuff.

This is the Life is a documentary about the hip hop movement that took place at a spot called The Good Life in LA back in the 90s. The Good Life is a health food restaurant that has live music of varying genres at night. A woman name B Hall, a community organizer in South Central LA and her son started a Thursday night hip hop night for the local kids in need of something to do. There was a no cussing rule and if you got on stage and you were whack you were asked to Please pass the mike. The whole film was just funny and interesting, full of great stories and characters.

What really got to me was that it was positive space where young black people could hang out and create art. It wasn't some smoky bar. It wasn't a place where you could drink and drug (though it did seem like there was some weed in the parking lot during the after party, this was not the focus) or spend a lot of time being negative. They built a community and came up with some inspiring and original music. Some of the artist included: The Freestyle Fellowship, Ganja K, Rude Abstract, Meduse, Mex 2, Jurassic 5, and many more. Around the mid 90s, record labels started showing interested and many of these kids had the opportunity produce albums and be super stars abroad and in the states. Though not everyone got their happy ending, it was a totally uplifting night that made me think about Youth Speaks and the Slam and Ladies First at the Hidmo. There are so many awesome things going on for young people of color in the city and I'm excited to be a part of it.

Losing yet another person...there have been so many this year...sometimes gets me stuck in feeling like I'm not making my way fast enough, but this film reminded me to enjoy myself and to focus on the things I really want to be doing in life, in order to lead a good life. Art and poetry, and hanging out with cool kids is really where its at for me.