A solid soul and the blood I bleed...and poop
“There isn’t much that I feel I need. A solid soul and the blood I bleed”
Animal Collective’s My Girls starts out with the sweetest and simplest way to define what I feel comprises a “good life”. (Don’t worry. If you started reading this blogpost because it has poop in the title, hang with me. I shall not disappoint)
As life is an avalanche of time where days turn into weeks, weeks into years, and years, your entire existence…I am curious- what constitutes as a truly awesome day for the rest of us un-amazing musicians? If you could close your eyes and picture your ideal day, (I mean, really give it some time here), what would it look like? What would it feel like? What would it smell like? What would it taste like? What would it sound like?
Here’s mine, in no particular order:
LOOK:
1) I am a huge nerd. No one knows this better than my husband. And the sad part is, he only gets to see one-tenth of it, as the rest is locked up in my nerd closet, only acted out on the screen of my mind…all day, every day. But, what he does see, he likes. To watch and make fun of…in jest, and in love, so it’s all good. Here goes. One of my favorite things to do is choreograph “perfourmances” to various songs. (I discovered what a “perfourmance” was years back while channel surfing and was mesmerized. Essentially, “perfourmances” are bad-awesome performance art pieces in the act of movement). Most of these “perfourmances” never see the light of day. Are they great? No. Are they even creative? Perhaps. But dammit, they are fun. If Haim’s recent performance of Prince’s I Would Die 4 U had sex with Perfume Genius’s Queen, you would get a glimpse of my art nerd, thespian, “perfourmer” soul and might be close to understanding what this obviously AWESOME baby might look like. Usually this plays out as dance sessions with my kids, because really, who cares what you look like in front of your children?
2) Words. I have began to notice that as I started writing more, I will literally see words form in my brain, connecting together to form sentences, and a theme, and so on. This usually happens either as I am exercising or when I am just about to fall asleep at night. Go figure.
3) Colors. Although I have been drawing off and on all of my life, it wasn’t until I started creating art on a more regular basis that I began to see colors. And unlike with words where I only see them here and there, I see colors all the time. (Play that back again as the kid from The Sixth Sense reading off his dead people line…much cooler). I’ve seen them the most when I meditate actually, which has resulted in some of my best art to this day.
FEEL:
1) Oily skin. Yes, I am one of those people that rub coconut oil all over their skin. And it is not just because it is good for my skin or I like the way it makes my skin look and feel, it is part of my dinacharya or ayurvedic routine; one that helps to provide optimal health for body, mind, and soul. Even better, when I do it with love and not in a harried rush, it can penetrate through the koshas, or layers of the body…straight to my art nerd soul. A win-win for all!
2) My yoga mat. Sticky, yet supportive. Sometimes, I don’t even use one, but the mat represents a commitment to myself. Whether I get 5 or 30 mins, it really doesn’t matter.
3) My childrens’ tiny hands. Held between my fingers. Tickling my sides. Squishing my cheeks. Pushing me away. Even when an attempt to hit me after I lay down some rules they do not appreciate is thwarted by my lightning quick yoga moves. Anyway I can get it, I’ll take it.
SMELL:
1) Poop. Yes. And this time, I am not talking about my children… This is another part of my dinacharya, (see Feel #1 for a quick reminder about the meaning behind that puzzle of a word). This is not rocket science. For optimal health- body, mind, and soul, (yes, your soul even benefits when you are not backed up, weighted down, and muddled with day old poop)- pooping every day is the way to play. Ideally, right when you get up, before you start your day. Get it out so you can fill ‘er right back up, is what I say.
2) The outdoors. This is really the “fill in the blank, choose your own adventure” kind of portion of this piece. Dirt. Ocean mist. Jungle. Freshly cut grass. I need to be outside at some point in the day. It is that straight forward. There really is so much beauty in dirt.
3) Ocean. I really do not even need to see it or get in it, (although I am lucky enough to be able to gaze upon it’s wonder each and every single day). But, I do need to be close enough to smell it. This is extremely achievable, as I live on a TINY ISLAND.
TASTE:
1) There she goes with coconut oil and that mouthful of a word, dinacharya again. Yes. Apart from lathering that slippery good stuff all over my body every day, I also oil pull every morning. For those that are not aware of oil pulling, you simply put about a tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth, swish it around for about 5-10 minutes, spit it out in the trash, (not the toilet or the sink, as it is an oil after all and will clog that ish up), and then scrape your tongue with your friendly tongue scraper. Why? According to my dentist, my teeth are white and my gums are exceedingly healthy as a result of oil pulling. While that is all fine and dandy, I mostly oil pull to rid the body of ama- excess waste in the body and mind built up from food and past impressions/experiences, among other things.
2) Tea. Again, very straightforward. My personal favorites are Numi’s Aged Earl Grey and Yamamotoyama’s Genmai-cha.
3) Sweat. I never used to sweat. Seriously. Not while kickboxing, running, or even hiking Oahu’s famous Kokohead stairs. I might have perspired a bit, but never really sweat. And perhaps this is a great case for global warming or a testament to the fact that I will be 35 this year, but I am finally able to break a sweat! Is it strange that my ability to sweat excites me? Maybe. But, I appreciate it for what it is- proof that I exercised and that my body is strong and works beautifully.
SOUND:
1) Music. Although I do not play an instrument or call myself a musician, all my life has been and continues to be music. My father was a musician, my husband is a musician, and I am pretty sure those veins that stick out in my son’s neck every time he screams or sings, or perhaps even his ability to keep a beat at three years-old, are a testament to the fact that we will most definitely have another musician in the family. All this aside, I love music. I quote music. (Captain obvious- this title and my “perfourmance” bit). I sing music. I listen to music. I talk about music. Music. Is. Life. Ya hear?
2) Laughter. Even after 20 years of being together, my husband can still make me laugh. Hard. The silent laughter, where it almost looks as if I am having a seizure or perhaps have passed out, but I breathe in the end, so you know I am okay. It is an essential part of why our marriage is so successful. And I am eternally grateful for it.
3) Movies/shows/performances. Interestingly enough, this whole section thus far has directly involved my husband, and this one is no exception. I have always loved and appreciated the art of performing- whether it be a film, show, or a theatrical performance. I love watching them. I love being in them. I love the smell backstage. I love critiquing and discussing them. I quote them on the daily. Luckily, I found someone that shares this obsession/love with me. Hooray us!
And one extra for good measure:
4) Silence. It has taken me a great while to truly understand what I have sensed for a long time about myself- I need silence. In fact, I crave it most of the time. This can be in the form of a morning meditation, or choosing to not listen to music during my walk, or even hiding in the bathroom for 5 minutes, pretending to take a long poop, (which I never do…I’ve always been an efficient pooper, what can I say?). It does not matter the means, as long as it results in some form of silence.
So there you have it. If I were to have all of these, in some form every day, I would probably be the world’s most content, passionate, colorful, efficient bad-ass around. Perhaps I need to figure out a way for this to be…perhaps. Which leads me to a challenge for you- what comprises your “ideal day?” A “perfourmance” about poop?!! You, bad-ass, you.
