You are Not Fit to be a King, or, It Was My Duty to Fight for What I Love

First of all, let's just be reminded that, generally speaking, I love Common's take(s) on love and on organizing. In addition, he remains to be the owner of one of the sexiest voices I've ever heard in my fucking life. I'm thinking about him and love because he posted this New Year's Day video on Instagram that was great. Mostly a push that everything will prosper if you "let love lead' and if you "let love have the last word".

Indeed.

Let love have the last word.

Sometimes people's families and lives break their hearts so deeply that their hearts fill with some kind of weird venom. At the bottom of it, the real deep down story, is that they're afraid they won't be loved. That somewhere, deep down and hidden even to themselves sometimes, they don't believe they are worthy of love. I'm both proud and in awe of the people in my life who have managed - who knows how- to grow open beyond what they experienced growing up. But I also have so much painful compassion for those in the world who haven't or weren't able to.

[If you need to, go and watch Black Panther again because I'm about to make an analogy. That film is about love on so many fucking vital levels.]

It's the difference between T'Challa and Erik Killmonger.  Goddamn did I cry at that last scene with Erik.  We all should have, or wanted to. Like *fuck*, Killmonger, I have seen so many people like you in life and it's so complicated. There are all of the reasons you would/could lack the love/generosity of love, but it's so goddamn hard to see the hate you bring and, ultimately, the sadness you bring into your own life.

(pause)

I'm thinking about love, community, inspiration, connection... all of it, and all of this, a lot.

We all grow.

It's a hopeful and beautiful feeling.

(pause)

I've also been thinking about the love I learned from a friend who passed many years ago.  Recently, I posted a miniature painting I did with an accompanying story that told one, particular and unforgettable story of this love. I was really surprised by overwhelming responses to it. I'm not sure why. Love breeds love, I guess/know. It still felt really good. An unforeseen piece to doing this is that I may have some pieces along with some stories up in an art show (like, in an actual art space that is part of art walks!? The thought of it kind of blows my mind.) That would/will be pretty amazing. More than I can really articulate right here and now.

Anyway.

I'll put a 2016 interview with Common here that was from The Breakfast Club. One, because it has both him and Charlamange Tha God in the same interview and thus is immediately more fabulous, but two because you can hear his voice when he is talking about the kind of energy he wants to be around and says "...man, this is my life.  I want to spend my life with people that I feel are at least going to do their best to bring their best energy." You can hear it in this tiny snippet at 6:53 of this interview. (He later talks about how there is love between him and the majority of his exes. Because of course there is. Exes as continued love as fam for the win.)

And...since I'm on my little Common trip, I'll also leave this song that was the first song that really turned me onto him (thank you, Matthew) so many moons ago. It's a song I think of a lot. Mostly because of the imagery of being able to recognize light in people. All of us have it. It tends to shine brighter for us with the people we love, but all of us have it. "It don't take a whole day to recognize sunshine".  So true in all of its meanings. Here it is:  The Light

That's all for tonight.

Love, love, love and 2019.

Let love lead and do your best to bring your best energy, indeed.


k.
(title: The first part is a part of a line said to Erik Killlmonger in Black Panther. The full line is "Your heart is so full of hatred. You are not fit to be a king."  The second part of the title is said by Nakia. So fucking good. The end.)
(image: from billykidd via le-nuage-sauvage tumblr)