I have never been gone from the
physical territory that I would call home. The RISE tour is near the 6 month anniversary. I am tired, my body it breaking down,
and I’m emotionally drained. I
guess it would be safe to say that I am feeling a bit homesick. The last cross country adventure I
participated in, I had a love waiting for me back home. This time it’s different. Part of my heart resides in Austin, TX,
but that’s another story for another time. I like to joke around and say that all I really miss back
home is the smell of my pillow. Of
course, that sentiment is a sad attempt at expressing my inner comedian. Truth be told, there is far more about
the place in the southwest that I call home.
To be totally honest, I do have a
love/ hate relationship with the Phoenix area. It’s far to spread out, and the transit system is brutally
lacking. There is a brewing
culture of infuse art/activism, but it never felt as if it was
interconnected. Maybe it was just
me. Perhaps I was the one that
disconnected. I wouldn’t doubt
that. The more I did venture out
of my cave as the RISE tour drew near, I began to discover what I felt I never
had before, a community I truly call home. As usual, completely segregated from on another. With all my frustration for the city,
it has such great potential. Like
each and every one of us, it’s a work in progress.
Outside of my personal opinions with
the lay out of the city and its vast culture, I have those personal
relationships that keep me very connected to the place. For far too long I locked myself away
from so many amazing people. Sure
I would surface from time to time & connect with people, but for the last 6
years it has been too few, and much to far between. I always have some plan for the future, and I act like some
dictator architect, not allowing anyone in my way. To bad, I can’t stop myself from being the one in the
way. Sure, determination is needed
to fulfill ones blissful goals, but balance is needed. Balance was a foreign term to me. As the RISE tour drew near, I relaxed
enough to engage these amazing people that I love dearly.
If there is on place about home
that I miss, it has to be Sedona and the surrounding Verde Valley. When I finally created space, this Eden
in the high desert provided sanctuary for me to heal and recharge. Of all the places that I have been to
in this country, there is no other that resonates so deeply with my soul. It is a majestic landscape from red
rocks to crystal clear streams, with some areas in the valley being covered
with vineyards. The culture vibes
with new age healers, crazed artists, country folk, and metropolitan escapes
convicts of corporate America.
Like many others, I have discovered
my connection to Sedona and the great Verde Valley. Say what you will, but it may be the closest relationship
that I have in Arizona. The very
thought of putting more distance between the high desert and me, brings an
overwhelming anxiety.
Still, the
time will come when I must move on.
Nothing is written in stone.
Perhaps I end up in Austin with Jessica, or by myself. Maybe I’ll find myself in Portland. Maybe the fates would be so gracious to
have me land in Sedona. The
possibilities are endless. The
trick is to not fight the flow.
No matter where I find myself, my
heart will always swell with AZ love.
Arizona was my first home.
Sedona and the Verde Valley will always be my first love. I won’t ever forget the experiences
I’ve had and the moments that shaped me.
Born a desert rat, I was nurtured in the heat of the valley of the
sun. For as long as I live, I will
be a sun worshiper. This fact, I
shall never forget.
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