Read Tyina Steptoe's "Ode to Country Music from a Black Dixie Chick" in "Presence" and describe a situation in which you took on an identity that was at odds with what others expected of you.
For instance...
I am not a very good singer, but I get a rush from doing the vocals in "Rock Band."
Imagine me screaming the lyrics to "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World:
"It just takes some time, little girl you're in the middle of the ride, everything, everything will be all right, everything everything will be all right, all right"!
Dude.
P.S. Can you find music by Blixie?
What do you think of it?
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In my family I was always known as the sensitive one. .. I cried at sad movies. When my dad died everyone thought that I would be the one to fall apart but in fact I was the strength of my family. I took control of the situation and dealt with the emergency crew and funeral director while everyone else sat in disbelief. It was not until months later that I let my emotions out.
ReplyDeleteI did listen to the Blixie Chicks group. I'm a lover of classic country but I just couldn't make myself like their music.
i dont have the reading my book. i have the old version. iw ill try to find it online
ReplyDeleteMy story is very simular to elt`s. except it was when my parents got divorced. I was so upset about it. I cried for months, I even cried every time I had to leave one home to go visit the other home.When ever I watch a program that involved divorce parents I would go into my room and just ball my eyes out till I could cry no longer. After many years when they finally met another other and got engaged my parents thought I would be devastated. To both their surprise I was thrilled, why, I do not know. I helped out with the weddings, the party after, and much more.
ReplyDeleteI googled the Blixie chicks and listened to the music. It was actually very nice. The kind I could get use to hearing.
when i played indoor soccer in highschool, i was the one to make the flashy goal and the one to score the most and lead the team to get the W. i remember one game my team mates were asking how many i was going to score and such and i told them 3. walking onto the field i decided that i wasnt going to score a single goal no matter what, even if there was an open net. i stuck true to my word. it amazed my team mates. i was expected to lead the team but instead i took a different route. we still won the game.
ReplyDeleteas far as the blixie chicks go. i have never herd of them. after searching goodle and youtube, still found nothing. as far as im concerned, there a group of no bodies who cant come up with their original name for their group.
When it comes to sad movies or just sad things in general, I tend to cry easily, but it’s the last year I have learned many things about myself. Last November my grand father died from falling and breaking four ribs and getting pneumonia. It wasn’t a fast and easy death either. It was slow and a very painful. It was painful for everyone, but I surprised myself. I was, I think the strongest one there. We were there for about four days total and I think that I left his side, at the most 6 hours. I couldn’t leave him, I needed to be there, and I had to take care of him. I would wet his lips with the sponge, hold the pillow on his chest when he had to cough and I rubbed his legs and feet when they hurt him, when they were hot when he was running a fever. I was also there and strong for everyone else. When I felt like crying I‘d clench my jaw and move my teeth back and forth. But I was strong and I was there for him and my family and also myself. I think that even though it was one of the hardest things I have ever don’t to stay in the room with him and watch him be in that pain, it was the best thing for me. It made me a stronger person. It made me realize that I like being there for people when that are sick, what they can’t quite take care of there heath problems by themselves. My Grandpa died on November 7th 2007.
ReplyDeleteLater on in that same year, there was another, more fatal, more tragic death in my life. My Bosses mother had commented suicide and it was harder than anything that I have ever gone through. It was harder than my Grand Fathers death because that is always the question of why. How? But when it happened I couldn’t let it bother me. I know that I had to be there for everyone else. I had to help take care of everyone, hold the pieces together. I didn’t know that I was capable of until it happened. I didn’t know that I could be that strong. There is more to the suicide but I’m going to leave that for later.
I did listen to the Blixie Chicks and I didn’t really like them, I just don’t like listening to classical country music.
There seems to be a pattern in how people feel in taking on an identity that was at odds with what others expected of you. My story is simmilar.
ReplyDeleteMy best friends mom died in a car accident last year. I was in school when I found out. My Dad called me to let me know, not knowing that no one else knew about it. I had to inform all of my other friends what had happened which was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.
After reading the passage, I went online and searched Blixie. I actually am a big fan of The Dixie Chicks, and although their style music wasn't like the Dixie Chick's, I actually enjoyed it. I am a big fan of music, and am always willing to listen to something new.
I have always been know as the rock in my family. And Have always been the strong one. But a few years ago my mom was told she had renal kidney disease. At first i didn't think much of it but, I was told one day after school that my mom had to get a transplant. This in a lack of word scared the shit out of me. But I held it together January 16th 2008 she had he surgery. It went well and I went to see her in the hospital and was looked upon the one who wouldn't break down and would brush it off and keep going on. I though I did this Very well until I was alone. I broke down and even though every thing was all right it caught up to me and all my emotions came out.
ReplyDeleteas for the Blixie Chicks Eh not something I would listen to..
In my family everyone has looked at me as the emotional one. I have always seemed to be upset no matter what happens. Except for when my parents spilt up. I found no need to be sad about this. One day my sister even yelled at me because I had no emotions about the situation. But, this wasn’t true. I hide my emotions from my father, mother and sister. The only time I would let them out was when I was with my ex-boyfriend. I could only be sad around him because I felt if I was sad around my family then we would never have any happy times.
ReplyDeleteThe Blixie chicks well I think their music is kinda lame.
I don't know what to say about this. I was speechless! I was always the center of everything emotional. This here was something I could make a comment on. I don't have any clue why. I did listen to some of their music, but that didn't help me think at all. I just don't know what to say. Plus I could get really say something that is deeply emotional, but I don't feel like saying online!
ReplyDeleteI feel like a lot of people are talking about emotions and things much more serious then what i want to talk about! An identity that I have kind of taken on in my house is the "second housewife." In my house when we were all younger, my mom would take care of all the household chores such as washing the dishes, doing the laundry, exc. Now that she and my father both have full time jobs and when I am on a break from school, I get the honors of doing all that "fun" stuff. I hate doing laundry and washing dishes (though now we own a dish washer and I hate dealing with that, too.) However one part of this whole thing that I have grown to like is cooking. My mom used to cook for us all the time and now that she is so busy, she rarely ever cooks for us unless its a holiday. But I really started to enjoy being in the kitchen and I would think that many people would never consider me as the type who likes to spends hours in the kitchen cooking up something.
ReplyDeletei dont have the reading my book. i have the old version. im going to try to try to find it online..
ReplyDeleteAs far as Blixie is concerned.. i have never heard of them before today. From looking them up and listening to them i do not really have an interest in them.. I listen to a lot of different types of music but i do not really care for classic country music.
I feel that in my family I can hold things in that are bothering me such as deaths etc. When my grandmother passed away, I held my ground while the rest of my family couldnt.
ReplyDeleteBefore reading this I didn't know who the Blixie Chicks were. After seeing who they were, I still wouldnt listen to them because I dont like country too much.
im an extremly emotional person and when 2 of my relatives died with in a month, my cousin i was very close with and my aunt. Everyone knew that i was going to break down completly......but i was the one holding my sister while she cried on my shoulder, i was taken the situation like no one expected. i was very proud of myself
ReplyDeleteI think that it is acceptable to be the one who breaks down over a loss. It is just how you as a person act upon it. I may not cry about a situation like that I feel that i should be the person to make every one feel better. But i understand the connection. I just feel that this kind of country I wouldn't want to listen to.
ReplyDelete