I hate to admit it, but yes, I have been bored lately. Bored of the same places…. the same faces. I didn’t even KNOW I was bored until I stepped outside of my comfort zone recently and tried some wildly different experiences, which I would like to share with you, fellow readers.
Yesterday, I had the privilege and the honor of attending the Lansing Correctional Facility in Leavenworth County. Two other poets, Douggie Nightlife Jones Rosenbrook, Sheri Purpose Hall, and I went for the End of Summer Hip Hop Bash, to witness an evening of awe-inspiring music and lyrics. #holycow
These men we got to see perform were SO open, so honest, so excited to be spittin’ bars up on that stage. I’ve never seen a better hip hop show, hands down, chalk full of talent and heart. Some of the men were clearly rappers/lyricists, some could sing like you wouldn’t believe, some were producers of tracks, others were making up the house band. It was truly an evening unlike anything I have ever experienced.
The most touching song that brought tears to my eyes, was this older gentleman’s song called “Life in the Pen”, cross-referencing spending time in the penitentiary with finding live inside his pen and paper, which was getting him through the experience. My “Orange is the New Black” knowledge of the prison system didn’t begin to equate to how much I learned about the spirit of this local jail in just a few hours.
Meanwhile, back in midtown, KC, a good friend of mine was encouraging me to check out the local float tank experience, Float KC. If you’ve never bobbed like a cork in 1,000 lbs of Epsom salt, you’re definitely missing out.
The spa-like space located near 75th and Wornall is incredibly luxurious, with a private dressing room for changing and overhead showers. The float itself is truly a unique experience, taking meditation and relaxation to a whole new level. You essentially get into a sensory-deprivation tank for an hour and bliss out. But the BEST part about the Float KC experience was the 15-minute chiropractic-esque massage chair. I’d go back for the chair alone! It does your whole body at once, in a room that feels like you’re in space. The whole thing was really so strange, I beg of you to try it once in your life, if it at all interests you. There is a whole culture and history around floating!
I’ve heard you have to give it a few tries before you get the hang of it, and I can’t wait to go back! It is for sure something new to give a chance.
Speaking of new chances, some of you may know I am getting ready to leave town for an extended period. Not quite sure how long. Or where I’ll end up actually. I’m leaving around the beginning of October, and I won’t be back until mid-January, when I will be publishing my first book! Save the date: January 23rd at Prospero’s Bookstore of the POP Poetry series.
If this whole artist thing doesn’t work out, my back up plan: Law School.
Here’s to curing those boredom blues, by stepping outside of your comfort zone and going for your dreams. There’s no turning back now.
Ciao for now darlings!
Sincerely,
MissConception
www.themissconception.com
