and sure enough, at 9am people where groovin. the place was packed, the dance floor overflowing between the tables where people where happy to have someone bouncing the floor next to them while they ate grits and beignets. and yes, the wood floors bounced. a lot.
the musicians where young. and the dancers where the whole spectrum. almost everyone had on louisiana flare--a festival t-shirt, fleur de lis pin, or, my favorite, the guy in the crawfish button down with red suspenders.
i was could barely find a place to stand to watch and take pictures. eventually it dawned on me that this was probably the first time in my life i havn't just immediately jumped on a dance floor when offered one, and just as the thought was fermenting someone tapped my shoulder.
he was an akward young kid from dallas and i told him i didn't really know how and he lit up "i can teach you." he'd clearly been studying. very basic but i was glad to get out there, and eventually pulled myself out from behind my camera long for a few others too.
i left before i got any really satisfying pictures but i was ready to move on.
i wanted to find some burlap while i was in "the country" not my normal m.o., but i thought to call and ask my dad where i might find some and without a moment's hesitation he rambled off some feed and farming store on pinhook-chastons i think it was.
ok, so, this place is in lafayette--the city, not in the country at all really. and when i tell you--it was full of farmers. a saturday morning and it could have been a cafe the way they were chatting and congregating.
people walking up to the counter to order 300 lbs of castille barley or something and gossipping about family and friends and i mean men here. i loved one story this old man was telling about a rat and a woman refusing to go back to work. they just laughed and were so sincerely glad to engage with each other..and so sincerely rural.
the cashier at one point stopped work to take a cell phone call where everyone waiting in line participated in her convo, laughing with her when she'd echo the annecdote from the other end.
heh.
i got burlap sacks, but no rolls.
then i went home and didn't do any work, but played with malakai, chasing him around pretending he was a cookie, cause he kept calling me cookie monster. (he's still calling me uncle kim, btw)
THEN i went to a wedding with my dad where, i don't know why i wasn't expecting to, but i saw all sorts of kids i grew up with and havn't seen in gazoinks. i'd walk up to someone and say "didn't we ride the bus together at some point?" "yeah the short bus"
by the time we left ali was already back form the festival with kai, so we went home and got them and went to the "art walk"
this is crazy- i mean, these are all things that have been around my whole life. there has always been an arts community here, and it is thriving.
one change has been how rejuvinated downtown is. it's like they recreated what it was like in the 30's or 40's, if it was ever like this, but everyone shows up and walks up and down jefferson street under rought iron balconies, going in and out of galleries. mostly with craftsier art for sale, but still just art everywhere. and just like i expected, i ran into almost every art teacher i had here or friend's parent who was an artist.
GREAT for when i'm ready to start getting input on my work (once i actually have some work)
oh and again-the kids even hang out here. highschool kids discussing the art and hanging in groups in parking lots. right in the midst of all the adults.
i mean- come on, how surreal is this palce?
when i got home i felt like i have jumped into a wormhole.
like-i'm dreaming. i walked away from my life to take 3 months in this place. this place with all these personal memories but also just this hwole life of its own a weird unified organic life of its own, that i'm actually part of.
i had started realizing it after a coupl eyears of coming away, started appreciating it when i'd come back to visit. but--the depth of it in me is amazing to me.
fun fun.
still i could never imagine living here.
oh-then in addition to all that, the new extended family aspect:
when we got home my uncle's fmaily where all up and we all stood around the kitchen for a good hour chatting and playing with the puppy. they're so comfortable with each other and with us, and everyone just seems to be living in such harmony it's incredible. 11 people. i mean, our family NEVER had this kind of harmony before. thanksgiving was never really like this, you know? not that irememeber anwyay.
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