Upside Down and Turned Around
I was at the coffee shop this morning talking about my recent favorite video Hustle and Flow (reviewed earlier) and this kid walks up and says, Yeah, that movie is sick! With real excitement on his face. And although I knew what he meant, I asked, Does that mean "good"? In a world where nothing is as it seems, the hip-hop culture has created a language to express that duplicity--everything means the opposite. Bad is good. Sick is excellent. Bent is straight.So how are we to agree on terms or communicate in this cultural construct? Do any of us really know what the other means anymore? And what does it say about our culture that an entire group of people have had to generate a means of communicating to each other to the exclusion of those in power. Sounds familiar doesn't it? An entire genre of martial arts came from the same need--capoeira. An entire genre of music came from the same--the Spiritual, which led to blues, which led to rock n' roll. A new expression in quilting, too, which communicated safe houses, the underground railroad, and directions to runaway slaves.
Communicating under the radar. In this aquarian age, when all will be known, what happens to the way we communicate? Maybe it has already happened. The people in power just haven't caught on yet--the jig is up and has been up for a while. But as long as war means peace, and talks mean coercion, and love means control, the underground will continue to reflect it back. And language may forever change course: Bad will mean good. Cool will mean hot. It may takes years, but just like the great Mississippi, the course can and will change.
posted by Sat Purkh Kaur Khalsa @ 9:01 AM
1 Comments:
The British say that something cool is 'wicked' so I guess Americans are saying something is 'sick.' I'd rather keep the positive explatives positive, then people understand what I'm saying.
The thing about hip-hop is that it has the best beats and the worst lyrics. For a while I pretended I could listen to it and not be affected by the lyrics. Unfortunately I understand everything they say in hip-hop songs and it's pretty much all disgusting, less KRS-One who started the hip-hop temple. Although he's rapping with a higher purpose and consciousness he's still addressing issues which are too basic and worldly for me to appreciate on a spiritual level. Like 'don't be a slave to consumerism,' I absolutely believe in this, but it's not enlightening for me to hear what I already know.
This is a side-track discussion I guess. Control what goes in and out of the 9 holes and you will be holy.
This seems so basic yet is also very hard.
The more Gurbani I listen to the more Gurbani I have in my mind. The more Gurbani in my mind, the more I search for the meaning. The more I search for the meaning the deeper I fall in love with the Guru. The deeper my love for the Guru, the deeper my progress in understanding the Guru's perfect Dharma. Righteous living is the only perfect pain-free living. I feel blessed to have an uncorrupted spiritual path which gives me all the tools to be happy.
What we think becomes what we do which becomes our reality. The goal of a Sikh is to remember God with every breath. My highest desire is to achieve this. By Guru's grace we can achieve this. Even with the intention of achieving God, we each have karmas and addictions and things to clear with this world before reaching that stage.
This discussion has got me thinking of the basics which are so powerful. Speak truthfully and directly and you will be known as truthful. Eat well and think well and you will be well. Remember God and act accordingly and God becomes your reality. We have all the tools.
Your blog got me contemplating :-)
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