“The finest thing in the world is knowing how to belong to oneself.”
Michel de Montaigne, Of Solitude
I heard about a hand-drumming workshop at Joe’s Garage last week. A fabulous Mexican drummer named Candido was in town with his band, and he was willing to share his skills with a few lucky local drummers. I went to the class at four o’clock and emerged, only an hour and a half later, feeling like a new person.
Candido was indeed a master drummer, but the rhythm he taught us was one that I already knew, so it wasn’t so much what I learned that made me feel rejuvenated, it was just being thrust into an unfamiliar situation with a brand new set of people, (many of whom were very talented,) and doing something that I love to do.
I love feeling like a mom, a wife, a sister, a daughter and a friend, but it’s good to be out in the world by myself sometimes. I haven’t been seeking out these types of opportunities for myself in the past couple of years, and I really appreciate it when they present themselves to me. It’s like the universe just taps me on the shoulder and says, “This would be really good for you to do.”
So I went back for the show that evening and took some photos for the band. My husband stayed at home with the girls and my brother and I went to see the band, “Matombe.” They were great. Their world-music vibe was soul-nourishing and Candido’s playing was inspiring.
Karina, the gorgeous dancer in the band, was jaw-droppingly good. Her style is unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed; a blend of African, Latin and ‘Karinian.’
It was a good day. I got to spend time with my daughters, my husband, my brother, some new friends,
and my Self.
