An old man was sitting on a bench at the mall.

A young man walked up to the bench and sat down.
He had spiked hair in all different colors: green, red, orange,
blue, yellow, and purple.

The old man just stared.

The young man said sarcastically, "What's the matter old timer, never done anything wild in your life?"

Without batting an eye, the old man replied, "Got drunk
once and had sex with a parrot….

I was just wondering if you were my son." :) :) :) :)

The following is an old article – old, but not obsolete - written just after learning of Aaliyah’s death, just over one year ago. In the shadow of even greater tragedies to follow, it did not go to print. I just ran across it though, and decided to include it in this issue.(Seems erroneous to waste a perfectly decent piece of writing.) Although, it is not a current piece, some of the perspectives on life, although you might find them skewed, I feel, are more relevant now than ever…..

The Final Word on Aaliyah

“Aaliyah is fine,” I tell myself after finally coming to grips with the shocking news that Sunday morning, after her plane went down in The Bahamas. Her soul is on to its next adventure, and has probably already forgotten it was here. It is those left behind I am concerned about: Her grief-stricken parents and loved ones; the people who worked closely to shape her career....like Timbaland and Missy; and, last but not least, a dumbfounded public. It is we who are left to reckon with the hard coldness of death…and wrestle, indefinitely, with its realities…..

It is still early and the details of the crash are foggy. I am sympathizing with her family, and wondering who the others were who perished in the crash with her. At that point, they were merely other passengers. Then later, they became ‘her entourage’. It would be another day or two before some of them were ascribed names and, more importantly, weights (i.e.; 300 lb. bodyguards who may have been responsible for the ill distribution of weight, etc.) I wondered what a fork in the wound it must have been to their families, hearing the breaking news of Aaliyah’s death and - oh, by the way - the other passengers. The other passengers were sons and daughters, friends and lovers, loved and adored (although not publicly) by many, I’m sure. I thought about Nicole Brown Simpson and – oh, by the way – Ron Goldman. What a dishonor it must be to die with somebody famous…

I am absorbing this from many levels. I am wondering if there is a greater message from The Universe here. You must admit, there is something dangerously remiss in the pop culture’s idolatry of the “stars”. I think of Selena, I think of Tupac (Biggie and Pun notwithstanding), I think of Princess Di and JFK Jr. (Carolyn Bessette and – oh, by the way – her sister Lauren), all who seemed at the pinnacle of their fame. I ask myself if there was any other princess, any other former first son, any other hip-hop icon or Latino pop star whose death, at that particular moment, could have incited such a widespread outpouring of emotion. I think of Mother Theresa, whose death went unnoticed in the celebration of the life of Princess Di. Mother Theresa !!!???

Certainly, it is predominantly the hip-hop world feeling Aaliyah’s death. That was made clear in The New York Post, when her family was lambasted for such an elaborate and ‘undeserved’ funeral procession (on a holiday weekend, no less). Reporters on 1010 WINS never managed to properly wrap their lips around the syllables of her name, and on K-Rock (the local rock station), the plane crash, complete with sound effects, was the butt of running jokes for weeks. But, within the hip-hop community, her loss could not be more deeply internalized. With a modest string of R&B hits and a movie behind her, her album just dropping, and the promise of two major films ahead of her, you get the sense that this humble starlet, though already very accomplished, was just on the brink of true and complex stardom. I am reminded of Billy Joel’s, “Only The Good Die Young”, and wondering how much truth there is to that. I think of a lot of really (seemingly) evil people who never seem to go away, while at the same time remembering the earth’s angels, who always seem to leave too soon. Is there a formula to this? I wonder.

No amount of money, success, hard work, beauty, and adulation can protect you from life’s fragility, I suppose. And furthermore, our souls are on a journey that has nothing, NOTHING to do with us; nothing to do with our plans and our endeavors on this plane. We are but a dream in the life of our souls. And, Aaliyah’s soul is already onto its next dream….in this, or some other realm. Perhaps we would do ourselves a service by not attaching so much weight to this existence…..or, at least, by not feeling pity for the dead. Perhaps, I am thinking too much….

R.I.P. to Jam Master Jay, whose murder is too profound for me to even form my words around at this moment. The loss of Jay, and consequently Run DMC, is a true and unprecedented loss to the institution of Hip-Hop. I can only hope and pray that the Hip-Hop community will RECOGNIZE: Rise Up, STOP THE VIOLENCE, and honor the forefathers by bringing back some real talent!

On October 11, 2001 at 9:30 am, Ken Bridges became the 10th victim to lose his life to the DC area sniper. Mr. Bridges, I would later learn, was a visionary who dedicated his life to the economic empowerment of African-American people. A 53 year old, married father of six, he was known as the co-founder of the MATAH Network - a nationwide operation that, among other goals, encouraged blacks to spend more within their own communities. Visit www.matah.com to learn more about Bridges and his life’s work. Peace to the souls and families of all our fallen angels….

Some perspectives on the sniper situation….
I know, I know, they caught somebody and they’re waving his big Black face all over the news. I am not sold. At least not yet. Somehow, I feel the 21 day ordeal was much bigger than this guy and this 17 year kid. Here’s a little something else to consider: http://www.rense.com/general30/sdnip.htm

Today’s Advice:

If A Dog Was The Teacher

If a dog was the teacher....
You would learn stuff like.....

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them - Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride - Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy - When it's in your best interest, practice obedience - Let others know when they've invaded your territory - Take naps. Stretch before rising - Run, romp and play daily - Thrive on attention and let people touch you - Avoid biting when a simple growl will do - On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass - When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body - No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout... run right back and make friends - Deli! ght in the simple joy of a long walk - Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough - Be loyal - Never pretend to be something you're not - If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it - When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently -

And finally,

Never trust anyone until you sniff their butt :)

P.S. –Speaking of dogs: Does anyone remember an old movie (black & white comedy, starring a young Jack Lemmon) where a woman trained her husband using a dog manual? She was delighted with the results (had him eating out of her hand – literally!), so she taught every woman in town to do the same. Of course, the guys eventually found out and…

If you know the name of this movie, please let me know. Not that I plan on training anyone. Would be nice though… :)

(your answer from the top)
Give up yet?

It's the 535 members of the United States Congress. The same group of
Idiots that crank out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the
rest of us in line!!!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You…..

For sharing this moment with me. I couldn’t have done it without you.
( Well, I could have….but what would be the point?! Life is nothing if you have no one to share it with). Thanx for your eyes, and your ears, and all of your positive feedback.

Special thanx to Florence Tate (from whose archives much of this info derived), Jeannette Mobley of Swan Graphics (for her creative and technical grace and genius), Dino of Virtual Concepts (for his computer ‘whiz’dom and for his bravery in sampling my peppermint concoctions), Daniel Pelavin (for his artistry and sense of humor), Myra Ashera (although we’ve never met - for her endless crusade to heal and educate) and to anyone else who shared this newsletter with friends, or has made even the tiniest contribution to this issue.

~Please stay tuned – We’re going places! ~

Til Next Time!!!
Misha
omomisha@bigplanet.com
www.omomisha.com
212.969.0106
:)

volume IV: page 1 • page 2 • page 3 • page 4 • page 5 • page 6 • page 7