Memories: It’s never about the destination…

Wow…I’m the last one, as always, so here we go.

I honestly can’t believe it’s been a year since we started this (okay, a year and a few days to be technical about it).  I still remember having dinner with Stephanie, Susan, and Eddy at a Cheesecake Factory in Anaheim.  We were just catching up and talking about how our life was going post-college.  I graduated in 2009, so I was a year ahead in the job search but around that time, I had recently lost my retail job, couldn’t find a career-type job, and just felt down on my luck, not even the sweet sweet idea of conversation over a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake could cheer me up (I inserted this more for dramatic effect, what kind of human being eats cheesecake with a grumpy look on their face…NO ONE!)

Anyways, there we were just catching up and then the question came up, “So…have you guys been writing?”  I don’t know who asked this but I can tell you, that we all answered similarly: “No” and expressed our desire to “get back into it”.  When we got back to Eddy and Stephanie’s apartment, we started tossing around the idea of meeting again and having a writing session.  I took it as an opportunity to get my mind off of things and just focus on something I enjoyed: Spoken Word.

The session went okay, I mean, we mostly joked around and caught up with current events.  Admittedly, I did a lot of the joking around. That’s neither here nor there.  The point is, when we started tossing around the idea of forming a spoken word group, I was like half-serious, half-joking, not knowing where exactly all this was gonna go but I’m along for the ride. We eventually came up with a new piece, and a group piece no-less “Writer’s Block”.

Now at that point, I was going through some massive writer’s block and I honestly thought to myself, “perhaps, this is it for me and my not-so-illustrious spoken word ‘career’”.  I did almost all the things I wanted to do as a Spoken Word Artist: compete in a Slam, host an Open Mic, spread the word about this new art form, do a writing workshop, perform at local open mics (particularly at DPL), connect with some amazing talented poets, meet Shihan, Poetri, Kelly Tsai, Saul Williams, Sarah Kay, Rupert Estanislao, and make sure Uncultivated Rabbits (UCI Spoken Word organization) continues after I leave college.  Granted, these were not too hard to accomplish (aside from the last two), but these were the things I wanted to accomplish.  (I know I said almost, so here are the things I wanted to do: win a slam, compete in Youth Slams, CUPSI, help organize an All California Collegiate Slam, and secretly, get on Def Poetry Jam). 

So when I got a text message reminding me that we were meeting up to brainstorm names, I thought, “Man, are we seriously going through with this?”  Honestly, I was a bit reluctant to get back into it, thinking that I no longer have anything to write about.  But as we were in the living room tossing around ideas for names and all the new avenues that this could possibly open up and, eventually landing on  a name (ForWord), I was still in amazement thinking, “Man, I can’t believe this is actually happening”. 

That last statement really comes up in my head a lot, I know I said it to myself before we debuted at Paradise Perks, Speak Easy, and every time we’ve featured.  And here we are, one year in, seasoned vets (so to speak) with features that may be in the double digits and I still can’t believe this is actually happening.  To be frank, being in this group has made me fall deeper into this art form, and I don’t plan on climbing out anytime soon.  It’s been just surreal, going to venues, being invited to feature at open mics and shows, performing in a room full of established spoken word poets/activists, meeting all these amazing poets/people who do things for this art form that I can only dream of (I can name ‘em all, but it’s actually getting late so I’ll just say this includes every artist/poet/activist/person we’ve met).  Lastly, it’s crazy how we went from a group of friends that love spoken word and write together to a group of friends called ForWord.  I don’t know where we’ll go in year two, but I’m along for the ride.

(Obligatory Po’ face picture inserted!)