THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2008
...having ourselves a merry little Xmas...
04DEC08/9:35a
...ah! to be sure...we sure enough had them~each and every Christmas was INdeed a merry, way, way OUT of body, joyluv experience...
Lately, these some several days just past Thanksgiving Day...I too; tried and 4True Kwanzaan that I am for REAL, have been spiritually affected by seasonal rememory and reminisce.
...been musing lately about the power and "ghetto" glamoured glory Christmas' of my 56 year PERSONAL holiday experiences...
At my time of farthest back recall, I remember knowing that our period of soul satisfying family warmth and relvory are in the here and now... reflectionf of when MaDear gave sanction that the carefully packed away illuminating Santa Claus bust could be retrieved from her old in the closet trunk, dusted, and regimentedly hung in our Dixie Homes apartment front door.
Over many, many years. if our beloved Santa's lone bulb was ever blown, I recall our joyful squeals at the spotaneous release of hopefilled and anticipatory breaths when the electrical cord was plugged into the outlet nearest the front door foyer of our North Memphis housing project flat...O, the brightness of that big fat single bulb wrapped me up in what has to have been the selfsame aweinspired
euphoria felt when that little drummer boy and wise men saw and traveled by that little bright star shining and aligning in the Bethlehem of old!
Over the use of many years, Santa's big white plastic face begin to crack, his mirthful eyes and robustly red cheeks began to fade in color and about the same year when I had matured enough to know just abit more about the reindeer and chimney myths...I began to wonder why my Scottie Bag Pipe and other gifts were in the bottom of my GranMa Dovie's old mirror doored chiffarobe and not being packed onto the magical sleigh at the freezing cold toy factory at the North Pole...
When our Christmas cheer door decoration light's shortage could not be repaired again, I began to view new things with expanding and increasing awareness...being aware of time and place was so much a part of my civil rights era days, particularly as relates to issues of being unknowingly impoverished and Amer*African. Simple things like holiday lights shining or not...being made aware by my little life standards that good Christmases were measured by grown folk's ability to spend big dollars and that issues of race and gender had huge impact at ALL levels on every little thing. . Our small family unit loved so bright and shiningly and with such nurturing protection, that I did not fathom being economically challenged, what for the unifying richness of our day to day process.
Uncle Charles used electrical tape sucessfully over the years to repair the shortage, even bending wire a time or two in order to make the brittle brown cord's wires connect ...but that year, old Saint Nick's little light shown no mo'....all our patient wishing and waiting was to no avail...that year, my personal treat was to ride at the back of the #5 Poplar bus to downtown segregated Memphis to get a box of stringed colored indoor / outdoor lights which replaced our familiar, aging and ailing bearer of the bright holiday light and happy, big laughing smile.
And now, I see holiday lights each and everytime I light a candle. I feel insurmountable joy when I glimpse a Kinara or Menorah and even the Star and Crescent and too...the Locust Blossom...as well as the trailing smoke from deer skin covered Sweat Lodge domes...
I feel now days, holiday cheer each and everytime I pass through old neighborhoods and witness the signs and symbols of fimilial and economic stability, pride and increase...
I hark the herald each time ( no matter the season) I see "amount accepted" on my laptop screen, when I sometimes make the minimum payment of life sustaining bills. Being willing and able to pay the righteous debt is undeniable conduit to our cooperative~communal comforts and joy...I am beginning to know the celebratory revelance of everyday's holiday quality and essential relativity.
I hear the melodic strain of angelic voices whenever I switch on the lights, answer the phone, check Email and too, as I ride in our vehicles, as we work and live empowered and dedicatedly in these so many, ever increasing welcoming rooms....
I rejoice with historic gladness, remembering within the fondest recall so many merry holidays...as I light obligatory candles and pray for individual and world peace & global blessings...at the portal of my altar...the Zawadi bust of Queen Nefertiti gazing as ever on & on...
When I think on the reasons for the season, I remember Christmases past and I am pleased that vestiges of them yet live in me...I bear FULL witness to that fact that gentle love, basic respect, environmental and cultural consciouness all indeed help us know and value ourselves...ourstories... our peace...our names.
Who are YOU?
Why are YOU merry?
Why are YOU here?
When did you last bask in and share the simplistic joy of REmemory?
PEACE & BLESSINGS...joyluvALLways!
...ah! to be sure...we sure enough had them~each and every Christmas was INdeed a merry, way, way OUT of body, joyluv experience...
Lately, these some several days just past Thanksgiving Day...I too; tried and 4True Kwanzaan that I am for REAL, have been spiritually affected by seasonal rememory and reminisce.
...been musing lately about the power and "ghetto" glamoured glory Christmas' of my 56 year PERSONAL holiday experiences...
At my time of farthest back recall, I remember knowing that our period of soul satisfying family warmth and relvory are in the here and now... reflectionf of when MaDear gave sanction that the carefully packed away illuminating Santa Claus bust could be retrieved from her old in the closet trunk, dusted, and regimentedly hung in our Dixie Homes apartment front door.
Over many, many years. if our beloved Santa's lone bulb was ever blown, I recall our joyful squeals at the spotaneous release of hopefilled and anticipatory breaths when the electrical cord was plugged into the outlet nearest the front door foyer of our North Memphis housing project flat...O, the brightness of that big fat single bulb wrapped me up in what has to have been the selfsame aweinspired
euphoria felt when that little drummer boy and wise men saw and traveled by that little bright star shining and aligning in the Bethlehem of old!
Over the use of many years, Santa's big white plastic face begin to crack, his mirthful eyes and robustly red cheeks began to fade in color and about the same year when I had matured enough to know just abit more about the reindeer and chimney myths...I began to wonder why my Scottie Bag Pipe and other gifts were in the bottom of my GranMa Dovie's old mirror doored chiffarobe and not being packed onto the magical sleigh at the freezing cold toy factory at the North Pole...
When our Christmas cheer door decoration light's shortage could not be repaired again, I began to view new things with expanding and increasing awareness...being aware of time and place was so much a part of my civil rights era days, particularly as relates to issues of being unknowingly impoverished and Amer*African. Simple things like holiday lights shining or not...being made aware by my little life standards that good Christmases were measured by grown folk's ability to spend big dollars and that issues of race and gender had huge impact at ALL levels on every little thing. . Our small family unit loved so bright and shiningly and with such nurturing protection, that I did not fathom being economically challenged, what for the unifying richness of our day to day process.
Uncle Charles used electrical tape sucessfully over the years to repair the shortage, even bending wire a time or two in order to make the brittle brown cord's wires connect ...but that year, old Saint Nick's little light shown no mo'....all our patient wishing and waiting was to no avail...that year, my personal treat was to ride at the back of the #5 Poplar bus to downtown segregated Memphis to get a box of stringed colored indoor / outdoor lights which replaced our familiar, aging and ailing bearer of the bright holiday light and happy, big laughing smile.
And now, I see holiday lights each and everytime I light a candle. I feel insurmountable joy when I glimpse a Kinara or Menorah and even the Star and Crescent and too...the Locust Blossom...as well as the trailing smoke from deer skin covered Sweat Lodge domes...
I feel now days, holiday cheer each and everytime I pass through old neighborhoods and witness the signs and symbols of fimilial and economic stability, pride and increase...
I hark the herald each time ( no matter the season) I see "amount accepted" on my laptop screen, when I sometimes make the minimum payment of life sustaining bills. Being willing and able to pay the righteous debt is undeniable conduit to our cooperative~communal comforts and joy...I am beginning to know the celebratory revelance of everyday's holiday quality and essential relativity.
I hear the melodic strain of angelic voices whenever I switch on the lights, answer the phone, check Email and too, as I ride in our vehicles, as we work and live empowered and dedicatedly in these so many, ever increasing welcoming rooms....
I rejoice with historic gladness, remembering within the fondest recall so many merry holidays...as I light obligatory candles and pray for individual and world peace & global blessings...at the portal of my altar...the Zawadi bust of Queen Nefertiti gazing as ever on & on...
When I think on the reasons for the season, I remember Christmases past and I am pleased that vestiges of them yet live in me...I bear FULL witness to that fact that gentle love, basic respect, environmental and cultural consciouness all indeed help us know and value ourselves...ourstories... our peace...our names.
Who are YOU?
Why are YOU merry?
Why are YOU here?
When did you last bask in and share the simplistic joy of REmemory?
PEACE & BLESSINGS...joyluvALLways!
