As my son is virtually out the door for his sixth straight summer away at camp, I am - how I always am at this moment: melancholy. He’s my first child, my active boy who kept me on my toes throughout toddlerhood “and beyond!” Now he’s 14, athletic, tenacious and leaving again. One thing I didn’t mention: he’s aware. More than I realized.
As a fairly liberal person, I’m always trying to get certain messages across: allow people to be who they are, don’t label, judge, try to care about those less fortunate than you. Try to understand the plight of your fellow woman and man, kid and teenager, especially when they are different from you. There’s no tolerance for no tolerance in my heart. Give to the needy, care about the uneducated, count your blessings, have empathy.
The other day in the car, he said, “Mom, there’s a song I downloaded by Macklemore [and Ryan Lewis], that I think you will like.” I said, “Let’s hear it.” Macklemore is a fairly new Hip Hop artist, with catchy lyrics about Nike sneakers and how the allure of a new pair can affect you deeply, as a young kid.
The song my son played for me is called “Same Love.” I urge everyone to listen to this song. It’s a fantastic, unlikely message from someone who is revered in the Hip Hop industry. It might be one of the loveliest songs I have ever heard.
Toward the end of the song, Macklemore sings (says), chants, I don’t know how to put it:
No freedom til we’re equal
Damn right I support it
Go ahead. Look it up on YouTube, iTunes, whatever you like. Just listen to it. My son heard me. He knew I’d like it.
Happy Summer everyone.
As a fairly liberal person, I’m always trying to get certain messages across: allow people to be who they are, don’t label, judge, try to care about those less fortunate than you. Try to understand the plight of your fellow woman and man, kid and teenager, especially when they are different from you. There’s no tolerance for no tolerance in my heart. Give to the needy, care about the uneducated, count your blessings, have empathy.
The other day in the car, he said, “Mom, there’s a song I downloaded by Macklemore [and Ryan Lewis], that I think you will like.” I said, “Let’s hear it.” Macklemore is a fairly new Hip Hop artist, with catchy lyrics about Nike sneakers and how the allure of a new pair can affect you deeply, as a young kid.
The song my son played for me is called “Same Love.” I urge everyone to listen to this song. It’s a fantastic, unlikely message from someone who is revered in the Hip Hop industry. It might be one of the loveliest songs I have ever heard.
Toward the end of the song, Macklemore sings (says), chants, I don’t know how to put it:
No freedom til we’re equal
Damn right I support it
Go ahead. Look it up on YouTube, iTunes, whatever you like. Just listen to it. My son heard me. He knew I’d like it.
Happy Summer everyone.
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