Trippin

Hello world...it has been somewhat of a hiatus that I have taken, seriously...I have not posted anything in nearly a month. I have been busy, but that is no excuse. Life is funny you know, last week I was given the opportunity to go to Puerto Rico for my gig. It was truly some last minute "what can you do?" type stuff, but I said "yeah, anything for the team." That was the funny part, but regardless PR was cool. Beautiful people, weather, history and culture. It was a good getaway, considering other things in my life are not so...well, beautiful. God has a way of balancing out things for us all, and I truly feel he gave me access to that trip to take me out of the downward spiral I had mentally began to go on. The only thing about escaping for a minute, is the return...you have to return right? Reality. Soul to Soul used to have this song-Back to Life, back to reality, back to the here and now and then...when I landed at the airport, that song began playing in my head.

It was 33 degrees when I stepped off the plane-it had been at least 83 there when I left. Reality is cold. But seriously, I was ready to be home. I cannot speak Spanish very well, and that can be annoying to yourself as well as others when you are in a Spanish-speaking country. I realized that learning to be fluent is a task I wish to take on. I need it, truly need it. It would have been a different trip, and by the next time I go somewhere, PR, DR, Spain for that matter-shoot, LA, I want to be able to better communicate. It is a respect thing too. For instance, while there I met people who clearly understood English but would not repeat a word of it to me...and I know why. It is the same phenomenon that folks have here-how you gonna be in America and can't speak English, that is a...yeah, same issue just different locale. I respect that, and thus my challenge to myself.

Additionally, PR gave me somewhat of a different perspective on life altogether. I mean, I met some folks that were just living there...some folks from here. Just graduated from college, met some natives and went there to live and just see the world so to speak. That, damn, that is crazy in a way but admirable in another. I enjoyed hanging out with them, and just living...I mean I am famous for just stepping out on faith and walking around and seeing things where ever I go-so meeting people that have taken that attitude to a new level was refreshing. They were much younger than I, but I never even thought to take chances like that when I was their age. Maybe I was scared, or more so just did not even know that I could do that. I mean I never even got on a plane until 22...so travel was not innate to my being. Now, I truly want that to be a part of my entire life, traveling to different places to see the world...redefinition of "tripping".

I did do some writing there as well, and I guess between just relaxing, writing and being inspired by the carefree existence of others did I gain this new or different perspective. I have always been one who did not worry about what others thought of me, well, not specifically but I learned most recently that perhaps I did not know myself that well. In other words, maybe I was simply an illusion of grand assumptions...not that I did not illustrate the characteristics that most placed upon me when they thought of me, but perhaps I too fell into the characterization of self and not the actualization of self. None-the-less, I want more than I have-and only truly in the sense contentment in that which I do and all that I accomplish. I have some plans to put in motion before the New Year, and then allow God to direct the course-having laid out my plan, for 2007. All in all, PR is a good trip...everyone should have the chance to bask in the sun as winter approaches...warm your spirit for the cold weather about to come. Never stop tripping.