Eight years ago, at this time, I was with friends in New Orleans, attending Jazz Fest. Jewelee, Scott, Chris, Virginia, Loreen and Ron are veterans of this arts, music and cultural event and I was a newbie. I was encouraged to pack for any kind of weather. I brought rain boots which I didn’t need, fortunately, and was able to splash about in sunshine instead. We stayed in a beautiful house, and I slept on a comfy couch. Our days were spent traipsing about, soaking up the ambience, as well as singing and dancing to Cajun, Zydeco, folk and rock music. I indulged in beignets and pralines for the first time and brought home a rainbow hued parasol (see in photo above) that hangs upside down from my spiral staircase. It was a whirlwind trip that remains in my heart all these years later.
Another Philly area friend, Ellen Rosenberg and her husband Randy are long time fest goers and consider NOLA their second home. In the midst of the thousands of people gathered, we found each other. Friend-radar at its finest.
I was looking at photos from that time recently and smiled with delight that I got to experience such joy. I see these folks in my neck of the woods at the XPoNential Music Festival that has some of the same vibe and musical stylings. Instead of being in NOLA, it is in Camden, NJ. Trade ‘wooder ice’ and soft pretzels for beignets.
As I consider all of the astounding experiences that are swirling around me, I am blown away. I live my once upon a time dreams, full out as I am now writing and speaking, teaching, and traveling, as I have desired for so long. I am attracting over the top amazing beings into my life.
I consciously enter every interaction with the idea that we will be of benefit to each other, when in the past, I was concerned about mostly what I could do FOR them to impress them and earn love, respect, and credibility. I am less concerned about their approval and more about my own.
As I consider where I was 10, 15, 20 years ago, I see that every step I took, every painful occurrence, every dark night of the soul, every moment of despair that I had allowed to threaten to pull me under, prepared me, strengthened me, made me more resiliently real. Although I don’t show that side very often, it is a part of my healing process. It is the place from which I can offer my best gifts to the world, even more than the smiley, happy face. It’s a journey that I am grateful to be taking as I morph into who I am to be.
Here is the 2023 line-up for Jazz Fest
“Laissez les bons temps rouler- let the good times roll!”
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photos provided by the author.
