Thoughts of L
There are more reports in the media about the bizarre behavior of Lauryn Hill, most recently her appearance at Vibe MusicFest, which I did not attend or see any footage of besides online photos.
I did see her performance on a recent def poetry on HBO.
I can't speak to Lauryn's alleged bizarre behavior, but I can speak to my, our expectations of how people with microphones in their hands and camaras in their faces should act and be. We don't understand that people are people. Or, maybe we forget it because we think "hey, I don't have a camara in my face", or "I ain't on TV". People are people. Whatever you have going on in your life, understand that entertainers, so-called famous people have the same stuff going on and, sometimes, worse in their lives. They have character defects and flaws just like the rest of us. They have quirky ways about them. Let's stop having expectations of folks. Let's allow them to tell us who they are. Let's give ourselves and others the option to change their minds, and do something different. Let's let others be who they are so that we can be who we are...judging it to not be okay, perpetuates the notion that we have to act other than how we feel too. I know, I know...we pay good money to be entertained. You want to see good performances on and off wax and screen that inspire you, right? Give people the freedom to be who they are. If you not down with it, it's okay...move on, move away, turn your head.
It appears to me that Lauryn Hill is acting "in public" however it is that she feels inside. She's not smiling when she doesn't feel like smiling, or scratching where she doesn't itch. It seems that she is practicing, simply put Freedom. It seems to me that Lauryn is attempting and practicing liberation. She is not beholden to any public opinion. That's freedom, True freedom! I know because I feel the tension present in my own body when I act contrary to how I feel. I feel it when I smile when I don't feel like smiling at a meeting to greet a parent or a colleague. What labels would be given to us if we acted the way we felt? What judgments would be made about us?
There are media reports out that say she didn't want others to look at her as she entered the building backstage and she wanted the whole area cleared out before she arrived at the Vibe Music festival. Not knowing if that's true or not, my comment ...people can do what they wanna do with their eyes. If you don't want to be looked at, don't go out of the house where others can see you. I don't know Lauryn Hill personally, but it feels that she like the rest of us is on a journey of self discovery and mental emancipation. She is not talking to others in the public which leads people to speculate and interpret her behavior (everyone's behavior) through their filters of experience and belief.
Some of my biggest lessons in this life are to drop expectations of others, and release judgment. My expectations are about me. They have nothing to do with anyone else. It's not fair to hold someone accountable for something that they did not agree to.
My advice to everyone, including myself and Lauryn Hill, is the advice a deceased friend gave to a loved one..."Be happy. Life is short!" It's not an easy thing to do...truly being happy. It takes some of us all of our lives to acheive it. That's not unusual. It's also not unusual to have a glimpse of it and lose it. W are always told to look and act happy even when we don't feel that way. What do you do when you don't feel happy? Hide from the world so the world can't see the unhappiness, or act how you feel-unhappy? How many times have you heard "fake it until you make it"? It takes a lot of energy to fake it, and Faking it prolongs our attaining it.
Do I want Lauryn to be happy (even if it means acting so-called weird), or do i want her to fit into the millions of images people have of and for her (many of which she doesn't know exist)? Yes, she put forth the initial image in '98, but are we who we were in '98 or 2000? I'm not. I always want to maintain the freedom to exercise free will. I always want the freedom to choose what I want for me. If I take it away from you through judgment, I take it away from me.
Just ramblings, thoughts...
I did see her performance on a recent def poetry on HBO.
I can't speak to Lauryn's alleged bizarre behavior, but I can speak to my, our expectations of how people with microphones in their hands and camaras in their faces should act and be. We don't understand that people are people. Or, maybe we forget it because we think "hey, I don't have a camara in my face", or "I ain't on TV". People are people. Whatever you have going on in your life, understand that entertainers, so-called famous people have the same stuff going on and, sometimes, worse in their lives. They have character defects and flaws just like the rest of us. They have quirky ways about them. Let's stop having expectations of folks. Let's allow them to tell us who they are. Let's give ourselves and others the option to change their minds, and do something different. Let's let others be who they are so that we can be who we are...judging it to not be okay, perpetuates the notion that we have to act other than how we feel too. I know, I know...we pay good money to be entertained. You want to see good performances on and off wax and screen that inspire you, right? Give people the freedom to be who they are. If you not down with it, it's okay...move on, move away, turn your head.
It appears to me that Lauryn Hill is acting "in public" however it is that she feels inside. She's not smiling when she doesn't feel like smiling, or scratching where she doesn't itch. It seems that she is practicing, simply put Freedom. It seems to me that Lauryn is attempting and practicing liberation. She is not beholden to any public opinion. That's freedom, True freedom! I know because I feel the tension present in my own body when I act contrary to how I feel. I feel it when I smile when I don't feel like smiling at a meeting to greet a parent or a colleague. What labels would be given to us if we acted the way we felt? What judgments would be made about us?
There are media reports out that say she didn't want others to look at her as she entered the building backstage and she wanted the whole area cleared out before she arrived at the Vibe Music festival. Not knowing if that's true or not, my comment ...people can do what they wanna do with their eyes. If you don't want to be looked at, don't go out of the house where others can see you. I don't know Lauryn Hill personally, but it feels that she like the rest of us is on a journey of self discovery and mental emancipation. She is not talking to others in the public which leads people to speculate and interpret her behavior (everyone's behavior) through their filters of experience and belief.
Some of my biggest lessons in this life are to drop expectations of others, and release judgment. My expectations are about me. They have nothing to do with anyone else. It's not fair to hold someone accountable for something that they did not agree to.
My advice to everyone, including myself and Lauryn Hill, is the advice a deceased friend gave to a loved one..."Be happy. Life is short!" It's not an easy thing to do...truly being happy. It takes some of us all of our lives to acheive it. That's not unusual. It's also not unusual to have a glimpse of it and lose it. W are always told to look and act happy even when we don't feel that way. What do you do when you don't feel happy? Hide from the world so the world can't see the unhappiness, or act how you feel-unhappy? How many times have you heard "fake it until you make it"? It takes a lot of energy to fake it, and Faking it prolongs our attaining it.
Do I want Lauryn to be happy (even if it means acting so-called weird), or do i want her to fit into the millions of images people have of and for her (many of which she doesn't know exist)? Yes, she put forth the initial image in '98, but are we who we were in '98 or 2000? I'm not. I always want to maintain the freedom to exercise free will. I always want the freedom to choose what I want for me. If I take it away from you through judgment, I take it away from me.
Just ramblings, thoughts...
posted by Blackgold at 10:05 AM
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