move if you wanna

i noticed something this evening that, truly, is a reoccurring realization in my life. i noticed how there is such a simplistic beauty in the most subtle movements and, before i continue, i should mention: this topic can very quickly and easily become terribly cliche and so, to prevent that as best i can, let me just provide several examples of what i mean and not attempt to bore you with my uneloquent attempts at describing something that is beyond my creative process, at 2am on a Sunday morning.

i notice it more often in those that i am attracted to but when i truly pay attention, i can find it in anyone. there are physical appearances, sure. but, as the saying goes, there is so much more than what we can see with a passing glance.

i recently found myself on a tangent regarding the body and my feelings towards it. my partner in conversation said she liked to imagine the body as a home, something that is lived in and comfortable, and not something that should be held so sacredly. and i loved that image: the time we spend in our physical bodies, in the grand scheme of things, is a small fraction of eternity. it is our instinct to adapt to situations or locations in our lives but part of the way that we adapt is to do whatever it takes to make ourselves comfortable: we purchase clothing that is either comfortable or practical or lovely or rich or ornate or inspiring. we may adorn our bodies with artwork in the form of makeup, jewelry, tattoos, piercings, paints or masks. we purchase a car or computer or comforter to suit our personalities and our lifestyles. all of these things add up to the expression of our souls, a deeper entity than just our physical beings.

but so often, we underestimate just what power our physical beings possess. our brains have the ability to process massive amounts of information. our hearts know to pump just the right amount of blood. many of us possess the abilities to see, hear, smell, and taste. and we have communication, the power by which we form many of our relationships in life. communication, really, is the basis of all relationships, i would say.

and although i suspect much of our ability to pass on oral histories or the true art of conversation is degenerating somewhat, we truly underestimate how much we are saying, all the time.

it's in the way we slide our credit card from our wallet. it's the way we button or unbutton our jeans, either before or after the zipper, and wiggle our way into them so that they fit just right. it's in the way we slip on a perfect pair of heels. it's in the way we flip our bangs out of our eyes when we're playing soccer or when we're driving down the road with the windows down. it's in the way we struggle to retrieve something at the bottom of our purse or the way we slip on our sunglasses before we unlock our car. it's in the way we stretch at our desks or the way we reach for the hand rail in the subway or metro or underground. it's in the way pick up our delicate glass of wine and hold it at such a precise angle, near our face, as we continue to speak. it's in the way we text when we're excited about the person on the receiving end. it's in the way we tighten our scarves or loosen our ties. it's in the way slip our hand in our back pocket or run our fingers through the back of our hair so carelessly. it's in the way we do that little half smile that means so many different things, all at once. it's in the way that we place our fingers in front of our lips and seemingly stare into space when we are really concentrating on something. it's in the way that we choose to lean on nearby objects, or the way we slouch when we're waiting for the bus. it's in the way we wave, whether it's enthusiastically with both hands, or whether it's a tamed, fan wave of each little finger. it's in the way we caress an object of importance. in short- these little, tiny movements that are so often simply survival mechanisms or learned behaviors are conveying something, are telling a story, in some capacity. it is for this reason that these behaviors or movements are so beautiful, because they are unique to each individual. no two people will hold a glass of wine just the exact same way and no two people will retrieve a dropped pen the same way. these physical actions are an outer reflection of what makes each of us beautiful.

soon, at elsewhere, i'm establishing a storytime, of sorts. i haven't sorted out all of the details yet, but there will be smores. i'm requesting that each person bring with them a story- true, fable, personal, borrowed. in this way, we will not only be practicing an art that has been practiced as long as people have existed (oral story telling) but we will also get a chance to know one another more deeply, once we learn about the stories that have shaped them.