Despite Internet shadow bans, we feel the rallying cries demanding freedom. The release of Mother Earth, her resources and her children. The exposure to violence has crescendo to an unfathomable level. Many witness, some look away, while others oscillate in between. As life is subjected to varying levels of violence (including murder) our collective spirit is shaken to a deep core. Our hearts and minds are convulsing and revolting. Oftentimes the instinct is to separate yourself from the Other. But when does this practice become a tactic to bypass our own shame of personal and familial histories? I’ve been mulling over the reality that anyone is capable of violence or peace. I hold the DNA of the colonizer and the colonized. Within my lineage, there are those who fought wars for imperialism and those who resist oppression. How many of us harbor this dissonance within? Such heightened visibility of global exploitation leads to deeper questioning of our presence in the now. It feels necessary to review how we perpetuate violence and systems of oppression in relation to ourselves, to others, and to the land. I feel (for our hearts’ sake) we must commit to introspection if we're to build sustainable change externally. But to explore the spectrum of being we need:
resources to be freed
accessible containers that offer safety, tools, and compassion
systems to crumble
violence to end
We need space to slow down, grieve and let go if we are to thrive, learn how to love and dream. Where do we begin? The answer that resonates with my body is - it begins with choice.
I took my first breath out of the womb in Fall - a rainbow baby. At an early age, my body quickly learned the difference between consent and coercion. I parentified amongst family and dissociated within society. When my parents divorced I felt an immense pressure to “choose” - moving away from the South. As a teenager, authenticity was ridiculed and my anger pathologized. Once I reached a point where I could seemingly make my own decisions I carried the narrative religiously that “things happen to me”. I allowed an unchecked ego and hungry shadow guide my decisions. In retrospect and with compassion, I wasn’t aware and (to an extent) didn’t know any better. But then came a point I wanted to know better, I needed to love better. As a cycle breaker, it is common to become overwhelmed with tension and grief. But it is possible to experience the liberating joys that come with taking our lineages on new journeys. Despite an early life of pain, I plan for more peace in the latter.
Creative Corner Highlights - lessons and playlist
Lessons of Fall
Take what resonates and leave the rest.
End the violence. All of it.
Every day is an opportunity to choose love.
Change is necessary and inevitable.
Times of sobriety foster heart cleansing clarity.
Our humanity reminds me to be kind, move slowly, be compassionate, and to be honest. Life is messy, emotional and oftentimes uncertain. But each breath, each movement that comes is our choice. I could not always hold space for the expansiveness of being. Sometimes I still struggle to witness the beauty amongst life’s persistent horrors, but this is a reminder that the narrative can change. We must be willing to alchemize our (and our ancestors’) pain, facing it so we may transform it into our greatest strengths.
Imani aka Scottyy
This is POWERFUL. Thank you 🤍 our communities need these vibrations. Thank you for sharing your spirit and love. You're right - we must ALL choose.