There is something innately connected between mood and music that probably deserves a good debate. However, I'm willing to skip all the debating and get to the music. These are a few songs that I call 'feel good' music. Sometimes the spirits are down and require a little picking up. Perhaps through a song.
I was taught to open doors
and to let you go through first
pull out chairs, do the gentlemanly thing, like carry bags, whether you needed me to or not, I should
lift heavy objects, walk you to your porch
make sure you were taken care of first
because it was needed
I was your support, your strength, and somehow it superceded
loving you,
understanding you,
getting to know you better
see, I was taught to treasure women
before I was taught what a woman was
and granted, I agree these things are needed
chivalry is a duty I feel women deserve
but first, as a man, I must learn to understand the being
far from helpless
a woman's strength matches and far often excedes mine
I can't count the times behind a man
I've found a stronger woman, and I'd be lying
if I said I understand women completely
there's this majestic complexity that lifts them out my bounds
but always makes me needy
just to be nestled somewhere near her chosen ground
woman
giver of life, sustainer of breath, nurturer
she's suckled me through my darkest days
protecting me from my madness, and reminded me of brighter days
there's a light in her smile, resolution in her hips
the dreams don't fall quite as fast from the sky
due to the calming of her lips
woman
a creature so divine that man has historically lost his mind
only to invent more insane ways that he can
pledge his devotion to her
woman
buckled beneath my pain, she'll split her heart in two
the half that loves me buried within the half that desires to make it through
serene from a distance, a queen and a vixen, supreme creation, ultimate temptation
words can't aptly describe her
woman
and all the woes and the worry, and all of the wounds
that men and women continue to cause each other
can't make us quit bearing these crosses
we continue to hang it all on one another
because
a good woman is a sunrise symphony
while a bad woman is a midnight's scream
but no woman
is an awkward silence, this lonely purgatory in between
knowing your entire life something's missing
and knowing exactly where it exists
but unable to motivate heart, mind, body, and soul
you escort her by the wrists
pulling out chairs, carrying bags,
opening doors and waiting for her to pass by
but never once bothering
to understand her
or all the reasons why
a man loves a woman
Recently, Nike and LeBron James unveiled the infamous 'Rise' commercial. From the moment I saw it, I had two thoughts: very clever on Nike's part and here comes more bad publicity for LeBron.
So I wasn't too surprised when I came across the above video a little while ago. The backlash (from the burning of jerseys to the adoption of the term 'Quitness') in Cleveland has been unmistakable, but I must admit that I can't help thinking "Are the sports fans of Cleveland really this insane?"
So I thought about it....
And I thought about it.....
And when thinking some more didn't help me to possibly understand where they were coming from, I just simply had to shake my head in disgust. I've been a LeBron James fan since he entered the league. In my opinion, he is the second most skilled player to ever lace up sneakers. Before I receive any irate messages, I'm not trying to get in a debate with Jordan haters or Kobe lovers, but MJ is the basketball truth and Kobe lacks some of LeBron's skills....I can admit that Bryant is a better basketball player right now because of his amazing basketball mentality and work ethic, but only because LeBron is still stuck in that unpolished zone where the Lakers venerated guard spent the first four years of his career. In terms of pure skill alone, my list (which makes it merely an opinion) is Jordan, James, and then Bryant. But that's not the problem at hand.
The problem is this arrogant video, and while I can admit that LeBron's Nike commercial was equally as arrogant, I'm struggling to figure out, for the life of me, why the Cleveland fans feel like they have any grounds. So, now I'll break the points brought up by this video down, mainly for the fans of the Cavaliers, hoping they gain some clarity.
Number One: No, it is not really a question, and if it is, it's strictly a rhetorical one from any standpoint. When LeBron asked "What should I do?", he wasn't really talking to you. That's like Peyton Manning calling up some Colts fans during halftime and asking "Should we go for two?". The truth of the matter is that fan input doesn't matter outside of marketing. You are appreciated, but only in the same limited manner as you appreciate what athlete's do. I doubt you're going to call LeBron up and ask him for advice on your next promotion. Kobe Bryant isn't deciding what college you should go to (and yes, the irony was intended). My point is, Cleveland get over it. You had only slightly more say-so in the "Decision" than Chicago, New Jersey, New York, L.A., and even Miami....which was all little to none. LeBron knew what he was going to do.
Number Two: I am so instantly amused by the talkers in the background of this video. "You're a quitter..." "You would leave us?!...." "Selfish...." And I'm thinking, "Damn, did he trade teams or get a divorce?" Kobe Bryant traded teams practically before he was drafted, and I don't recall Charlotte Hornets fans throwing it in his face....okay, granted nobody realized just how impressive his career would be at the time. I mean, the Hornets were happy to get Vlade Divac in that trade. And remember Kevin Garnett? Years with Minnesota. Leaves to go to Boston. Wins a ring. I don't think the Timberwolves fans got the memo about hating the one guy who carried the team for years. But I digress...LeBron walking out on the Cleveland Cavaliers truly matters to you why? Because it's no longer cool to be a Cavs fan? Because you wasted all that money on those Witness T-shirts? Because you didn't get to use him quite enough, I mean the least he could have done was won YOU a championship, right? Fans, including myself, kill me with that biased bullshit. The players don't owe me anything on any of the teams that I choose to be a fan of, and that's true in Cleveland as well. You would leave us?!....um, maybe somebody should remind him again, about exactly who you are.....Riiiiiigght.
Number Three: Did she actually have the nerve to say family? I'm simply going to leave that alone, because I'm pretty sure that woman and none of the other Cavs fans ever seriously wanted Delonte West hanging out at the weekend barbecue's. I mean it might sound cool to say, but then you think about it. Family?...all I can do is shake my head.
Number Four: Boston, Game 5, we watched, you quit....words that make me wonder what game they were watching. Are you talking about the game where the Celtics seemed to be winning by 30 from the very start? The game where nobody wanted to play defense? Where even though his shot was off, LeBron still led the team in rebounds and assists? That game? I'd say every Cavalier player except Shaquille O'Neal quit in that game. Embarrassing performances tend to make you do that. But since we're mentioning Game 5s....I dug up one that the Cleveland unfaithful might not remember. Check THIS out.
Do I need to say more?
Number Five: Traitors don't leave legacies. This may be one of the most asinine statements ever made, and obviously by a guy who never paid much attention in history class. Brutus. Benedict Arnold. The Rosenbergs. Judas Iscariot. History has often given traitors a much greater legacy than they otherwise would have had in the first place. So, apparently we must add LeBron James. (Although I'm curious as to how he's a traitor. For leaving a team that couldn't win a championship? Damn, the NBA is full of traitors who deserve no legacy.)
Number Six: When things get difficult, you run....I'm not even going to argue the validity of this statement. I'm just curious how strangers (yes, Cleveland fans...you're strangers to LeBron) can make such a huge character judgment, based on a career move. How many people would have thought about staying at the Seven-Eleven if they knew their fortitude as a person would be questioned because of it? (And yes, Cavaliers, I'd consider playing for your team like working at a convenience store. Putting in tons of hours and efforts, fearing being robbed, and all for the Employee of the Year trophy that sits so neatly on the wall).
Number Seven: If you have to ask LeBron, or any other sports figure what you should do, then you have a few more problems than the participation in this minute long tirade that somebody assumed would seem clever. (Perhaps, some Dan Gilbert brilliance once again?)
Number Eight: And at the end, it shows LeBron lied. Hmmm....how many people have ever lied? I'm lying to myself right now, by thinking that this excessively long blog post will matter to any of the Clevelanders who feel jilted. LeBron's lying to himself right now, by thinking that his Nike commercial somehow makes the situation better. And the fans of the Cavaliers are lying to themselves, if they feel like they ever mattered as much as they thought they did. People lie. Get over it.
I guess the bottom line is this. Basketball is a sport. An organized game in which talented athletes are celebrated for their ability to participate. As fans, we admire these talents, cheering for them in times of triumph and consoling them in times of defeat. But somehow along the way, fans lost sight of this. It became win one for the team, then win one for the city, then hell, win one for me. I think the overly consumed fan lacks something in life that rooting for a team fills. Otherwise, how could you explain Jack Nicholson and Spike Lee? Two men who seem to have it all, but when reduced to the mere spectating fan, they are insane as the rest of us. There's a void immediately removed in knowing that your chosen team defeated the opposition and rose to the level of champions. Because then you get to believe that they did it for you. In one split second, you are up there and you're a giant. Nothing in the world matters and everything is good.
Maybe Cleveland is really mad at LeBron James because for the longest time, even without winning, he made their city feel giant. Nothing outside of Cleveland mattered because King James made it good. Now, for the first time in forever, all of that is gone.
This morning I was up early again (been like this for the past three days). I grabbed a cup of coffee, had a smoke, and fired up the computer. In the midst of absent jaunts along endless blogs, facebook pages, and twitter updates, I stumbled into one of the funniest things I've seen in a while. Shouts out to Jon Goode for his insanely uplifting sense of humor and to Malik Salaam for some awesome video editing. Hopefully this starts everyone's morning off with a laugh.
Welcome to the Rare Spotlight, a place to shine light on those rare gems that illuminate the world, unnoticed. They are poets. They are artists. They are singers. They are musicians. They are visionaries molding beauty against the backdrops of their passions. They are beautiful, and we should pay attention. Welcome to the Rare Spotlight.
If interesting were a writer, then it'd be called Tzynya on the sixth day, and on the seventh day, it'd rest. The untameably eccentric side of me was immediately overjoyed when I came across the musings of Tzynya L. Pinchback. She is a mimosa-sipping, Billie Holiday listening, confetti lentils stew cooking, passion poetry writing good time, all rolled into one. 'Out to sea' vessel, home seeking gypsy who is a testament to determination, she simply enjoys adding a little pizzazz. The author of several poetry chapbooks, it is my pleasure to introduce Ms. Tzynya L. Pinchback.
Questions: 1) Name/ Stage Name
Tzynya L. Pinchback or simply Tzynya or Hey Girl.
2) Current City/Hometown
In Atlanta, but not of Atlanta/California native all day!
3) Right now, you are (literally)...
Totally freaking out that my book releases in less than a week and hoping people will at least enjoy it.
4) When did you fall in love with poetry?
I am still courting poetry, not ready to make a commitment. At present we're shacked up in a subsidized apartment with free cable and an ice chest for a fridge, but the wood floors don't scuff easily, and poetry is a good romp after a long day.
5) Describe yourself in one paragraph
I'm short. People are suprised to learn that about me. Apparently I write like a tall person (how does a tall person write, I don't know?). I have very thick eyebrows - like a monster or something - that I tame with wax and persistence. I really like love poems, good love poems, especially those written by Pablo Neruda. I love cats, and believe dragonflies are actually mechanical GPS tracking devices created by the CIA. I'm neurotic as hell and should probably be medicated, but I try to be a good person, and an even better friend.
6) Five years ago, you were.....
Leaving the heartland for the heart of dixie. Suitcase stuffed with a road atlas, bootleg CDs, old loves and a new narrative.
7) Five years from now, you want to be.....
Picking out pillow shams for my daughter's dorm room, teaching and capturing stories, retiring my bra, living somewhere with snow. In love.
8) Your entire day is ruined unless you can.....
Hear my daughter's laugh.
9) If you were a color, which would you be, and why? (Lol..I had to throw in one of these type questions)
I would be a few colors. Red, because I am quick to emotion, and the color red seems quick and dirty to me (sometimes that's a good thing); Pink because it's dainty and pretty and sweet and it reminds me of being a girl when my bedroom was a sea of chiffon and ruffles and lace, and I feel safe there, still; Blue because it's the color of water and the sky and antique English china, and the hottest part of a flame. I am like a blue dress you hang near an open window to reflect sun or to make dry after a hard rain.
10) One moment in your life, when you were the proudest
Easy. When I gave birth to my daughter 13 years ago. It was the most lucid I have ever been, and I was present for it all. In bed in the birthing center - my husband on the other side of the room, my father in the chair next to my bed - pain curled behind me wrapping me around its fist. I was there for that. No drugs to take me away from any of it. I needed to be present for it, to connect to the priviledge of motherhood and to understand the miracle of life passing through me I had to experience that loop of pain. Then she was born and I was born too.
11) One moment in your life, which you regret most
I regret the leaving. I am good at leaving. I am good at finding a new place to plant a garden- like rows of corn and squash and butter lettuce and snap peas just growing wild in the footsteps behind me, ya know. No one to tend to them because I've moved on to another place. Yet, no place is home for me. I regret I don't know how to create a home anymore.
12) Write whatever you feel
I am ashamed, well not really, but sort of, how much I enjoy zombie movies and really cheesy musicals and show tunes. I lie in bed all night at times streaming nonsense on my laptop and it makes me completely happy when I should be sleeping or cleaning my house.
