Ya know, sometimes I stop and think about what a strange cultural clash upbringing I've lived through; the first generation son of immigrant parents from El Salvador. EL SALVADOR?! Boy, isn't that the place that is often mocked as backward and dirt poor?! LOL! In reality, it is just that, but from the three major visits I made to that small little country back in the 90s, it really is a very beautiful tropical land and to see the places where my mom and sperm donor came from is really quite humbling. Kind of like that part in The Godfather where Michael Corleone, who has only known America his whole life, goes back to Sicily for temporary exile, to see where his roots are based. Being born and growing up in the U.S. as first generation is very interesting. I was forced to speak only Spanish at home; my mom, late sperm donor and maternal grandma all had little to very broken English. I gotta give credit to my mom though, she has mastered speaking English very nicely with some trouble reading and writing still, but the woman can genuinely communicate in the Anglo world, although all her advice, scolding, and general ideas still come at me en español. So to learn English naturally through TV and school, and Castilian at home, I got to luckily become bilingual! My house was like another country basically, but once I left those doors I was always and still am a light-skinned average tall skinny American dude. My very Anglo friend said once years ago as he visited me, "Your house smells Hispanic." LOLOOOOL! Whatever that means! I guess he was referring to the odors left behind by the food we ate: beans, tortillas, cheese, rice, pupusas, etc. All washed down with a nice cold glass of good ole' Sunny Delight! AHAHAHAHHAHAHAAH! I saw a lot at my old house. Many good times and bad, and millions of people visited that place; relatives, friends, and strangers! The little Salvi house, 1982-2006. I live much more Anglicized now. I've moved up in the world! HEE!
So tomorrow Saturday would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday, had he lived of course. I love Paul McCartney's upbeat melodic playful enthusiasm in his songs, but I have always existentially identified with Lennon; he wrote from the deepest part of his subconscious that was filled with true angst and pain at the world he was born in. The guy was very much a cultural, social, and political mover and shaker, and wanted a more just and peaceful world, because he knew deep down inside that human society is unfair and rotten, and that we are a confused little species trying to figure out the true meaning of this bizarre yet fascinating existence.In honor of John, who was without a doubt, a songwriter of immensely epic inspiration; I give you this awesome political/social anger anthem:
3 comments:
Live life passionately and love everyone like they are family. Because Jesus is always with you. Jesus loves you seriously big time he would hug you until your eye balls exploded out of your skull if he ever met you. He would wind surf across oceans of dead nazis which he personally slaughtered just to tell you that your new hair cut is the bee's knees. Jesus is like the monster truck of love and you are an old Geo Metro which he will roar his massive engine over and crush your fiberglass frame into a crumpled heap. Praise Jesus especially when it's sunny outside because Jesus would be totally cool with you praising while you get a nice tan.
"We're bigger than Jesus now." - John Lennon
Your brother has a wicked sense of humor and cracks me up!
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