i was honored to be able to sit down several days ago with the legendary historian Dr. James Haney, who hosts one of the longest running local television shows in Nashville. if anyone wants to hear and know the real story, check it out. it will air locally in a few days, but i've also posted the entire interview here below, in 4 parts. it's pretty straight ahead. gonna jump on some busy work. i hope it works. i didn't look at it--it weirds me out to watch myself talk. ewww.
Labels: Dr. James Haney, dr. jeff obafemi carr, television interview
i find myself in a reflective mood as i sit in the corner of a Starbuck's that used to be a second home. so much much happened in this very corner. i recall tweaking many shows and planning many seasons; sketching out ideas on napkins, from big ideas to dialogue and melodies and lyrics for songs and salutations; yes, even completing the painful, yet necessary
Weaver Of Dreams. that one left me in a zone unexplainable, broken from a teary trance by a passer-by who inquired, "are you alright?" the response to which was, "yeah...yeah, i am
now."
i was sitting in this corner a while ago, when i was joined by a colleague of mine, Dr. Anthony Johnson, Esq., who was Vice to my Presidential Chair in Student Government back in the college days, which have swiftly passed, albeit "imbued with memories fond." we had a super-strong, french-pressed cup of coffee, representative of the days when we delivered our messages in like manner: black, hot, and strong.
we laughed and smiled within about our fearless days, when dorm-room planning and late-night trips to Krystal's sparked a movement that had us taking over the Administration Building on campus and holding the attention of the nation until 141 million dollars was spent on bringing
TSU up to standard with other state institutions who did not bare the stamp (honorable as it was to us) of
HBCU. we were so young then.
and fearless.
i told A.J. (as he was widely known by) that these same thoughts were what inspired me to climb up on the roof of the theater a couple of weeks ago. the notion that we--all of us--have the ability to wrap our hands around Possibility and shape and mold it into Progress; that we all can find something to believe in; something that we love and support so fiercely that we are willing to place ourselves in harm's way to give it life.
these conversations inspire me even more.
and that is what we came to, through laughter and through anger; through remembered feelings of joy and pissedoffedness; that one of the ways that we can keep momentum going in our lives is to surround ourselves with others who believe in elevating themselves. the old folks used to look you in the eye and say, "listen, don't be someone who Majors in the
Minors." when we focus on, and surround ourselves with, the mediocre, we cannot expect a productive life that is full of realized dreams of excellence.
i promised something pretty durned big after i left
the roof: to write a book on the experience. i learned so much during that solitary endeavor, that often, the only way to maintain my sanity was to meditate on where i was and why i was there and await the revelation. things came, and they came clearly, and in order to be a good steward of those things, i have to forge ahead and give birth to the seeds that were planted inside me over the course of those storm-filled seven days. so i'm jumping on it. i won't blog long, because i find myself wanting to talk about those very things.
but rest assured, i remain committed to doing the next "impossible," "insurmountable," "crazy" thing(s). the larger the goal we strive for, the more improbable it is that we can accomplish it--alone. it's when the giant appears that we are sent help to conquer. that help comes from both above and below.
so, as i sit in this corner and close this writing, i hope that you can find a space that you can claim as your own, whether or not you physically own it; a space where you can reach within and remember who you are, so you can remember where you want to go.
and sketch out how you plan to get there.
so i figured, with all the regular blogging, i'd have to figure out how to eventually go to the thumbs and share thoughts. so here i am, sitting inside the Starbuck's in Metrocenter in Nashville, TN, giving thanks for seeing another Monday, while i wait on the wife to come and chill for a few. we're getting prepped for a production of Black Nativity that will blow the roof off Nashville. i may try to join the cast this year, especially since our Kids and Teens will be in it. it's going to be a fun show, reuniting all the best elements of the annual production over the last 5 years. follow up from the rooftop is coming along well, with donations still coming in at www.firstgiving.com/art. we're gonna keep the page up so people can make their end-of-year donations with us and we can put them to work. i'm glad to be a part of an organization, Amun Ra Theatre, where people can see their donations at work, manifesting from their pockets into tangible and visible progrsms. this is a good place to be in and it only gets better. i'll blog again later when i can drop in some html code to bring back the ticker. 'til then, have a great start to the week, family.
