and landed in my eyes
I screamed aloud,
as it tore through them,
and now it's left me blind..."
Oh Florence, how romance and love can make anyone's heart and mind produce such aching images and phrases that cause us to declare the cosmos a mirror of our emotions. And more so, how lucky are we to get the chance to feel such deep love and…passion.
It’s been over a year since the Year of Passion was declared, and I find myself continuing the internal dialogue about living with passion. Despite the writing hiatus in the YOP since January, life in SF has been a rainstorm of activity spanning passion and exploration that would without doubt, fulfill the YOP’s mantra.
March, April and May is known to bring showers, but for this blessed spring of 2011, showers of a different nature have come. Showers of love and romance that come in such starkly different packages that I can not help but share it and yes, document it so that during those times when the tide is out and the waves are at a lull, that it can be remembered that passion is always there, and that the wave of passion and soulful love is indeed alive, all the time…and yes worth the wait.
Indulge me as I lay out this cast of characters who has spotted and claimed moments in my SF days and nights over the past 90 days…
There’s C, the 6’1” music teacher with cocoa skin, dread locks and a lead drummer in a metal band. We met last September, while walking down 16th street in the Mission, days before my departure to India. We “made eyes” while walking with friends, mine had just come from tacos and Margarita pitchers @ Puerto Alegre on Valencia Street, and him with his friends en-route to a music show.
After we both did a triple take, he turned around to give me his card accompanied by a “please call me”. I did. Live music shows in the TL, cooking @ his place, art auctions, board games with friends, tea @ The Summit and misc. drinks around The Mission, C’s deep seeded love of teaching, learning, practicing and performing music it’s crystal as to what magnetized me to him – passion.
There’s R, the compact, small and lean SF native, whose fair hair skims the same height as me, manages the non-profit bike shop down the street. Having been the apple of my biker eye for a couple of months, our conversations about bike rides, bikes and handle bar wrap finally progressed to him asking me to go for a bike ride…and dinner. That was almost 3 months ago. R has been the most consistent of the bunch – with a weekend trip to Santa Cruz to watch a bike race he was in, then ride the Sierra foothills, an unknowing trip to his parents place, also in SF, on his birthday (yes, you read that double whammy correctly) and even a hair cut on the back porch with a cup of morning tea and freshly sliced oranges, R’s passion for biking and bikes (he has 11 of ‘em) unknowingly has inspired me to start to race myself.
Then there’s B-dig dig, the newest addition to the equation. A few weeks ago, while replacing a tire @ the Bike Kitchen, B and his friend, both newbies to the BK, left without a peep or hello, then came back to introduce himself and exchange numbers…hopefully. It worked. The tallest of the bunch, B hails from NY, has a rad white and blue vintage Nishiki, and spends his days in the concrete jungle of the Financial district in downtown SF. He’s sweet, uncomplicated and with an open-to-anything approach, is refreshing, even in this town of liberal minded, open hearted souls. What’s more, is that the teacher of newness in me can’t help but dance with excitement as each one of our meetings have included a new food type or activity that either he or I have tried before, including Pupusas in Bernal Heights, a trip to my fav organic, vegan resto Gracias Madre, South Indian and being apart of his first yoga class ever.
*Then there's CL, the freckle faced, Southern Cali native with a growing sleeve of tattoos, whose boundary pushing mentality, simple, conscious life choices to be vegan, yet also raise chickens at their coop house (for the egg egging non-vegans) near Golden Gate Park in SF, and active participation with the city through his work and volunteer time, has on numerous occasions, taken my breath away entirely. As I sit contemplating why, why, why this boy still has his spirit swirling around in my soul and mind, despite our decision to end the 6 months of on and off interactions, I feel perhaps there are no words for it, except, passion.
With each soul whose quasi-name has graced this post, I offer up the gratitude for their presence in the YOP and my life. One of my favorite aspects of this simultaneous exploration has been the absolute playfulness that we share. A return to the way in which children seek playmates for after school trips to each others houses, where the option of staying for dinner was never assumed, but rather an unexpected extension of a few hours together where getting lost in time with picnics in the park, climbing trees or riding bikes, I am FILLED with joy to say not much has changed since those days. Thank you for that.
So what is the common denominator with the Drummer, the Biker, the Financial Deal Maker…and the Vegan? Is there one?
Is it passion? Is it love? Is it me? Is it that each are pursuing passion in their lives in some way? Is it perhaps just coincidence that my interest is strongest for those with the most passion in their lives? I don’t think so. Everyday we have the gift to decide what kind of passion we invite into our thoughts and actions. Imagine a world where passion leads us all to in making almost, if not all, of our decisions. A passion for joy and happiness and love and gratitude for this abundantly blessed life we get to live everyday. Last week a yogi offered up a small nugget of guidance when it comes to how we can choose to make choices (and I certainly paraphrase here) “What kind of world would we live in if everyone was doing the same actions as the ones we make.” Interesting.
Taking a peek now at the YOP timeline, March 30, 2010 was my first entry and took place day dreaming about a fulfilling life, far away from the stale air of that 43rd floor cubicle. When I think of all the places in which I remember life pre-YOP, it is that moment that serves as “The Beginning” image and thus resonates in my mind the most. They say words are only as powerful as the image they conjure-up in your mind. Perhaps this is why the art and love of a well-told story can capture anyone’s attention. So, thank you for listening to these stories of mine. And in the inspiring words of the indie flick “Happy, Thank You, More Please”….more please.
Perhaps that’s why the Drummer, the Biker and Financial Deal Maker (and Vegan) have captured more than just a piece of the YOP. Beyond a telling story of how we met or where we came from, lies inspiration and passion. Although the future of these characters in my life and their place in the YOP is certainly unknown, like children playing in the forest with the juicy remnants of wild blueberry on their cheeks, fingernails and jeans, I am choosing to approach each of these romances with the continued pursuit of joy, love and most importantly...
passion.
xoxo
V
