Still Sundays
July 11th.
A question I don’t care to ask. Michael Jordan & why Kobe & Lebron don’t come close. What and who defines an artist?
If you would like to know what Still Sundays is about, please take a quick gander here and just read the third paragraph. Thanks.
The City nudged me awake at the pinnacle of her stillness this morning—5:oo a.m.—as if to say, allow me to help you recall what you originally meant when you began this series. The quietude between 5:oo a.m. and 6:oo a.m. is not of the same fabric as a few hours thereafter. The twilight sky takes pride to showcase the silhouettes of the buildings. The dust on architectural establishments almost glimmers in these early quiet hours. Ideal to sit on a bench provided in the middle of Broadway and 108th street—or any street—and let the structures whisper the efforts of every laborer that went into creating the solidity which neatly hems your reality.
I am very inquisitive yet have never desired to know where anyone is “from.” A person’s geographic, national or ethnic origin often provide a cul-de-sac of information. That is a question not only I am most frequently asked but I am sure others are too. It’s a very natural query. It’s short and easy. But we are not static and shallow. Oklahoma. Michigan. Bangladesh. Nepal. Japan. What does that tell anyone? Yet we ask. A quick way to box someone neatly for our immediate understanding that honestly reveals very little. Yet I almost asked. Almost.
On my way to Marco Rojas’s yoga class I stepped into a subway car filled with too many people and not enough patience. I stood across a young man who reminded me of my brother, Z (Zain often goes by Z so this is not my attempt at anonymity!), in his high school years. “Where are you from?” was on the tip of my tongue but guessing that he probably, like me, frequently has to answer that, I went off auto-pilot and said, “You remind me of my brother when he was younger.” He seemed relieved. Amused. He talked about his hair cut, the faded highlights that looked more rust than brown, and why he loved to draw. He wasn’t in high school but a freshmen in college. Despite the natural insecurities speckled in that age, he seemed pretty confident in his skin. Pigment and otherwise.
So it caught me by surprise when he wanted my advice for college and beyond. What could I possibly say in the minutes between the 72nd and 79th street subway stops? I didn’t want to be cynical. I didn’t have time to elaborate. Yet I knew he had asked with intention. He was searching. “Do what you want to do because you are going to end up doing it anyway.” My stop was there and soon I would dissolve and then integrate in Marco’s yoga class. Before I stepped out I quickly added, “You will be fine. Read Langston Hugh’s ‘Dream Deferred’. He got it right. Most of us fester or explode if we don’t do what we want.”
I stopped watching basketball after the Chicago Bulls and The Knicks defined basketball. For my generation at least. I lose heart when the sport loses heart; when, even though I can’t define it, I know it is no longer about the game. I haven’t followed or watched any professional basketball in years. Yet I, like millions of others, watched Lebron James televise his decision about his choice to play for a particular basketball team. What does that say about me? About us? The media is not to blame. I don’t watch T.V. and I watched that. I am human. We have a long ways to go. Sensationalized athleticism like his or Kobe Bryant’s might define basketball for the moment but not generations. There will be another 25 year old kid soon. But no will forget Michael Jordan and others who dribbled on and off the court with grace and humility.
There are things I want to conclude but fear I have not achieved enough to make certain claims. For example: there are those for whom art is a hobby and for others its a life style. The latter is not necessarily superior to the former. But I feel comfortable to note there is a difference. The following quote almost helps distinguish the two for me:
I believe that if it were left to artists to choose their own labels, most would choose none. ~ Ben Shahn
When you are busy doing you are not as consumed by the how and the theories taught, learned, or speculated about your craft.
The heat wave has cooled off by a few degrees. I will be watching the beautiful game near South Street Seaport. South Africans rooting for the Dutch. The mysterious irony that leads to hope that, indeed, anything is possible.
Orange Crush. Netherlands.
~a.q.s.
Oh, I love how you wake up so early in the morning and have such thoughts, and then sit and pen an essay that skillfully engages the reader. Me. 🙂
You are so correct. It is in the “doing” not in the “how, why, when, where” that consumes someone who is engaged in their craft. As for labels? None are really necessary. Though I do understand that for many, it is the first step.
While I don’t think asking someone where they are from as the first thing to ask as impolite, I do think it’s awkward. If I hear an accent, foreign or domestic, I do ask where someone is from after initial pleasantries. If they avoid talking about where they are from, then I move the conversation elsewhere.
The most interesting people I find are ones who can discuss where they are from. There are things I would never have found interesting enough to research myself but when verbalized to me, it can be interesting.
@John – I don’t think it is impolite to ask. It is not a question that provides me the interaction I seek. That’s all.
But yes, those who can discuss where they are from beyond the places that contain them are indeed interesting. For we make the place as much as the place makes us.
~a.
yeah, i’m very confused when asked “where are you from?” cuz i never really know what the person wants to know. i’ve lived in the bay area for 2 1/2 years, before that LA for 6 years, spent my teenage years growing up in Kansas, was born in Pakistan while traveling back an forth from there to Saudi Arabia. hmm, can you see why i might be a lil confused? of course you can, you’re my sis! LOL. well, i guess its just the nature of ambiguity in language. hmm, what does that say about all other social constructions…like “time” and “psychology” ?
It’s all perspective. I was adopted and have very little information on my bloodline. I didn’t have a close relationship with my adoptive family which, if one knows the history, is overly euphemistic.
Where one comes from a person does not make but it often allows me to empathize with them. This is something I learned from traveling solo most of my life. Traveling solo forces me to interact with the locals. I treasure those moments. It’s like making a life long friend though you might never see them again.
I could go on but this is your blog which is a good segue to my next blog…
Thoughtful stuff. The last play of the last basketball game I ever saw was Michael Jordan’s winning last basket. Fans and the media can say what they want, but like Mohammad Ali, some people can’t be surpassed, no matter what the stats may say.
And know what I realized? I have never asked anyone where they are from. I’m still not sure why, although I’ve been thinking about it today. Maybe its because if they’re in front of me, that’s all that’s vitally important? Maybe.
Very pleased that you mentioned bball in this update. As you know I have tons to say on this topic.
I was a big Lebron fan because of his charisma and I do really enjoy watching him play, key word WAS. I cannot think of another athlete in modern generation that has gone from hero to villan this quickly. Its not that Lebron left and broke the hearts of an entire city, but its the way he chose to do it. He showed just how egoistic and narcissistic he really is. He’s been getting attention since he was 13, so he has this pathetic sense entitlement. Different situations, but somewhat similar to Tiger Woods’ sense of entitlement.
What’s that tell you when he proclaims himself as “The Chosen One” or “King James”…last time I checked a King has jewelry and Lebron has zero rings!
Having a 1 hr show with sponsors at a neutral site simply to announce he was leaving Cleveland was like pouring salt in their wounds. Its the single cruelest thing I can think of an athlete doing. He could have released a simple statement on his website with his decision but nope, he had to have an extravaganza centered around “me”. Either he was too dumb to understand the magnitude of how bad of a move this was or he just didn’t care…maybe a combination of both. I think the lack of an older adult male in his life has a lot to do with this.
His entourage is comprised of all his high school friends who handle his business/his brand. His entire team that handles his bball & non-bball affairs are comprised of 25 year old kids. Not exactly a ton of wisdom or maturity there. I honestly think by having his HS buddies, he’s just trying to live his HS days. There is a documentary about his HS days.
In my opinion, “The Decision” was all about the LBJ brand. It was about promoting his brand through his website and its no coincidence that he joined Twitter 3 days before this show. Then he holds it at the Boys & Girls club at Greenwich, CT (you know since Greenwich, CT is one of the most underprivileged cities in America) and he donates the proceeds collected from his 2 primary sponsors, University of Phoenix & Bing, to the Boys and Girls club to make him look good. I didn’t fall for that “cover” for a second. Weak sauce!
There are many reasons that he will never be an MJ, Magic, Bird, Russell or even Kobe, in my book but it all comes down to one for me. MJ, Magic, Bird or Russell, would want to kick Dwayne Wade’s a$$ every time they’d face him. They would never ever in a million years want to team up with him. This is like Magic and Bird wanting to play along side each other. Can you imagine that? Hell no! They wanted to beat each other every time they faced one another…that competitiveness is part of what made them so great.
That tells me all I need to know about Lebron. That tells me that he just is not wired the same as some of the greats to ever play. All time players have the mentality of “jump on my back, get the hell outta the way and let me lead you to the promise land”. Lebron doesn’t have that mentality. I guess he tried in Cleveland, but couldn’t get it done. He could have chose loyalty (Cleveland), he could have chose to win almost immediately and make a legacy for himself (Chicago), he could have been revered and an iconic figure in “the city” by making bball relevant in the world’s most famous arena (NY Knicks) but nope he chose the route where it would be the easiest and he’d have the most help. That’s pretty weak. So this means even if he wins 7 championships he’ll have one less than Dwayne Wade (Wade won in 2006). Regardless of how many rings he wins, he’ll always be one level below MJ, Magic, Bird and Russell, as far as I’m concerned.
Another thing I’ll say is that compare the way Lebron handled his “decision” to the way Kevin Durant made his decision.
Lebron made this whole thing a fiasco to say “look at me me me”. Meanwhile, 2 days before Lebronocalypse, Kevin Durant made a simple tweet that he just signed an extension and how grateful he is. That’s it.
That is exactly why KD is my favorite NBA player. He’s humble, loves his teammates, just wants to compete and play.
He is a rarity in the world of professional sports.