2011 Year in Review:
My mother died.
I can't really remember what happened before June 2nd, or what happened after June 2nd. Sure, I was invited to the White House and shook hands with the President. I instigated two hijabi flashmobs, one in a room of right wing reporters where our back up was Lt. Dan Choi, and another again at Lowe's in San Francisco. I worked on editing an essay which will be published in an anthology with other dope Muslim women next month. I helped to empower 17 amazing South Asian American youth to be radical leaders. I worked on repealing affirmative action, promoting civil rights, replacing the death penalty, and assessing South Asian American community issues. I hosted a webinar to assist people to be educating in moving their money out of big banks. I PR-ed pies, and cookies, and a play hearting Hamas, and a play empowering Janaki, and a gypsy Sikh hip hop album, and a dreadlocked Sri Lankan rasta, and an animal haired singer songwriter. I was tear gassed at Occupy Oakland while taking back the streets, the ports. I prayed Eid in East Oakland behind a student of Elijah Mohammad. I collaborated with Muslim, queer and fabulous activists to put together an amazing Islamophobia Zine out next year. I interviewed amazing people and wrote about a bunch of issues on Sepia Mutiny and Taqwacore Webzine. Inspired by political poster culture in Oakland, I started collecting political art of the South Asian American, leading my new Tumblr site Mutinous Mind State. I saw Harold and Kumar inside the White House and had DJ Rekha over at my art party. I danced with second line ghosts in the 9th Ward of New Orleans, and ate cheese curds in the Mall of America in Minneapolis.
I wrote poems. I painted. I painted a whole lot. I did not write as much as I wanted to, as much as I needed to. But I did paint.
I sorted saris. I counted prayer beads. I shredded more envelopes of unopened bills than I ever want to see again. I drove to the thrift store countless number of times getting rid of her clothes. I sifted through stamps upon stamps. I flipped through pictures upon pictures. Boxed up jewelery. Wrote thank you cards. Vased flowers, and threw out flowers. Ironed my sisters clothes. Held my sisters as they cried. I cried. Boy, have I cried in 2011. I didn't think it was possible to cry so much. I prayed. I prayed so hard it scared me. And I sat. I stared out aimless and just sat.
Stunningly enough, this year I survived.
2012 Resolutions:
1. Write
2. Love
3. Occupy My Life
4. Write Love Letters
5. Look people in the eyes.
6. Believe/ Faith/Pray
My mother died.
I can't really remember what happened before June 2nd, or what happened after June 2nd. Sure, I was invited to the White House and shook hands with the President. I instigated two hijabi flashmobs, one in a room of right wing reporters where our back up was Lt. Dan Choi, and another again at Lowe's in San Francisco. I worked on editing an essay which will be published in an anthology with other dope Muslim women next month. I helped to empower 17 amazing South Asian American youth to be radical leaders. I worked on repealing affirmative action, promoting civil rights, replacing the death penalty, and assessing South Asian American community issues. I hosted a webinar to assist people to be educating in moving their money out of big banks. I PR-ed pies, and cookies, and a play hearting Hamas, and a play empowering Janaki, and a gypsy Sikh hip hop album, and a dreadlocked Sri Lankan rasta, and an animal haired singer songwriter. I was tear gassed at Occupy Oakland while taking back the streets, the ports. I prayed Eid in East Oakland behind a student of Elijah Mohammad. I collaborated with Muslim, queer and fabulous activists to put together an amazing Islamophobia Zine out next year. I interviewed amazing people and wrote about a bunch of issues on Sepia Mutiny and Taqwacore Webzine. Inspired by political poster culture in Oakland, I started collecting political art of the South Asian American, leading my new Tumblr site Mutinous Mind State. I saw Harold and Kumar inside the White House and had DJ Rekha over at my art party. I danced with second line ghosts in the 9th Ward of New Orleans, and ate cheese curds in the Mall of America in Minneapolis.
I wrote poems. I painted. I painted a whole lot. I did not write as much as I wanted to, as much as I needed to. But I did paint.
I sorted saris. I counted prayer beads. I shredded more envelopes of unopened bills than I ever want to see again. I drove to the thrift store countless number of times getting rid of her clothes. I sifted through stamps upon stamps. I flipped through pictures upon pictures. Boxed up jewelery. Wrote thank you cards. Vased flowers, and threw out flowers. Ironed my sisters clothes. Held my sisters as they cried. I cried. Boy, have I cried in 2011. I didn't think it was possible to cry so much. I prayed. I prayed so hard it scared me. And I sat. I stared out aimless and just sat.
Stunningly enough, this year I survived.
2012 Resolutions:
1. Write
2. Love
3. Occupy My Life
4. Write Love Letters
5. Look people in the eyes.
6. Believe/ Faith/Pray
0 responses:
Post a Comment