Beautiful – I can feel the good vibes and what a wonderful picture of American life – you should send this to NPR's "This American Life".
Cheers,
Jamaine
From:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of La Vonda R. Staples
Sent: Thursday, July 18, 2013 8:08 PM
To:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - A Boy, A Girl, and A Magic Booty! Cholangiocarcinoma TAKE THAT!
Every morning I get up about 5:30 or 6 and start my housework in peace. Generally, about 8 a.m. I'm ready to have my coffee, read, take my pills, alone on the patio. Before I sit down I always sweep the patio, steps, and the pavement squares in front of and up and down, our apartment. I play jazz or classical on my mp3 player. I do some squats. I twirl the broom above my head like a baton. I bring out a blanket and stretch. After today I will bring out my brand new purple exercise pad (like the ones you used to have in high school gym class).
This morning my son Grant came out just as I was finishing sweeping and cleaning up any debris that my neighbors are so kind to toss in the grass or on the concrete. He switched the music to Lil' Wayne (of all folks). I don't know what hit me but I just started dancing! No one was outside but us. I just felt good and felt like moving. He said, "mum, can you twerk?" Crazy thing for a boy to ask his nearly fifty year old mother. I can. I can isolate my butt muscles with the best of them and keep perfect time. I just can't do it for that long of a time.
He said, "do it!" I told him that I wasn't gonna be doing that outside. Sarah must have been listening because she shot out of the front door with, "don't do it Mom!!!" We were in rare form mssr. to be sure. Sarah was so sincere I couldn't help myself. I had to pick on her! I turned my back to her and started to do that forbidden dance. Every ripple visible due to my old yoga pants. She was hollin' stop. He was laughin' so hard I thought he was going to throw up that omelet I made for them before I came out (yes, I cook for my children in the morning if I feel so moved). I did it to the left. I did it to the right. I jumped up in the air and turned around at the same time and without missing the rhythm of the stroke I started twerking to the world!!! Man, you should have seen the look on Sarah's face.
All of a sudden she started smiling like one of those fat orange cats. At first I thought she had finally stopped being so 'shamed of her mama's antics. No! She had gotten her revenge. I turned my eyes to face the direction of Sarah's eyes. There was my new neighbor's great grandma! I screamed! I was so embarrassed. I was ashamed. I tried to run in the house. Sarah blocked the door. I started to apologize. "I was just having fun with my children." The lady started laughing too. Her great granddaughter, Bianca, came out of the house. SHE WAS WATCHING THE WHOLE THING! "Why you apologizin' Miss Vonda? You was handlin' it." Her words had REAL respect emanating from every syllable. Bianca knows that I'm sick. She was very sincere in her admiration. I have cancer. It don't have me.
Tomorrow? I might just do it again. But this time IN THE HOUSE!!! I won't recover from that humiliation for a while. And you KNOW they had to tell everyone. I wouldn't be shocked to find out that Grant was even telling the squirrels. I don't know who got the biggest kick out of the whole event. I do know that there are much worse and many more dismal ways to begin a day.
You see, we needed that dance! We needed that laughter. While I was doing my inside work I was watching and listening to the 1959 version of "Imitation of Life." When the movie got to the part where Mahalia Jackson sings, "Soon I Will Be Done (with the troubles of this world)" I started to cry. Loud and hard. The mother in the movie was in her casket while Mahalia sang over her body. The daughter, arriving too late for the funeral, was outside of the church trying to get in. I couldn't take it. I thought about my cancer. Cholangiocarcinoma. It has never let anyone live past five years. It's a killer. I'm a fighter. The knowledge racked my body but in an instant all fears were gone.
That's when I went outside to sweep and shake my OTHER genetic inheritance: the booty. And it felt good to shake off those troubles. My house was clean. I cooked a good breakfast. I had spent a few minutes talking to God. I didn't have all of my children close but the two who were there were my comfort and joy.
Tomorrow? I might just do a split, some more twerking, and do the the butterfly upside down with my feet pressed firmly against the apartment wall! I just might invite the ol' lady by to join in, too. Thank you God for another day!!!!--
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