Saturday, September 10, 2016

I want Tom Beall to keep on living.

My name is Alysa Volpe and I've been living and loving since 1974 in this dry and dusty desert that holds the history of generations of hard working and innovative people...I kneel and whisper gratitude to you. 
This ground?
It's gorgeous.
It's beautiful.
I've yet to travel the world but I've seen tropical places and very cold places and this desert? 
It's not a desert, it is decadent.
It's rich and full of passion and I am a child of this soil.
This desert is my ❤️.
I'm going to die here.
This is my home.

And...here I am.
I have spent the past few weeks watching a man who taught me how to slow the fuck down, breathe and be on time (still failing, terribly...ask Jade) struggle to live.
He is struggling and I hate it.
My heart is breaking.
I lost my father when I was 24 years old.
I met Tom when I was 21. 
He has no memory of this.
I met him again when I was 31. 
He was my yoga teacher and he is a stubborn human.
None of that matters, really. 

My intention is to speak about the power of inspiration.
To honor my teachers.
Tom?
He has inspired me to be better.
He has inspired me to be honest.
He has inspired me to disregarded social niceties in place of being on the right side of history.
And that's an itchy place, right?
He is an itchy guy.
I have many good teachers.
In High School...Chris Yetman started the Environmental Club at CDO. 
He changed my life. 
He pushed us little grungy punk rockers to give a shit.
He challenged us to go outside and look at the places we placed our feet and think about the consequences of our actions.
My English teacher Ms. Goodheart took taught me that Shakespeare was revolutionary. 
He was naughty...he was worth paying attention to because life is messy and often ridiculous.

Teachers?
Mentors?
I meet them everyday.
They are human. 
They eat candy.
They buy cheap crap.
They forget stuff and can let us down but?
They also...wake us up to giving a damn.
Teachers are amazing.
I am grateful.
I want MY teacher to wake up.
I want to go back to our grumpy chats because I gravitate to grumpy. 
This is why I stuck with yoga: 
20+ years ago...I met a grumpy but wise man named Tom.
He pushed my buttons and I have learned so much.
Please get well soon.



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