The Essence of Jazz

Jazz...

Have you ever just paused and listened to jazz? Ever just let yourself follow the notes of the music and the sound as it flows. 

Jazz is all about the flow -- the rhythm, the grooves, the melodies, the harmonies, the beats, the pockets, the hums. Every singular sound, often precisely considered, all to make some of the loveliest sounds. 

My father taught me how to listen to jazz. 

It's all vibrant like the legendary Miles Davis' "Blue In Green".  

My parents gave me this dream of being some worldly writer that loved all parts of life and all of the people inside that life. 

At my essence, when that professor asked that question, I have always been curious.

Everything is a question in my mind and then an answer is found. Most of my thoughts when I'm considering the world around me are coming from an analytical perspective -- constantly wondering about each person. 

What are they doing? Why are they doing it? How are they doing it? Why are they doing that right now? 

I want to know everything about everything always. 

And my Classic Mythology professor reminded me that is the reason I even chose going to New York University for a journalism-adjacent major in the first place.

One question.

One question after thousands during the course of four years of undergrad course corrected me. 

I am so grateful for Professor asking that question. 

I knew by the end of his introduction as a human that he was a kindred spirit. He had lived this most amazing, adventurous, and giving lifestyle up to the point of becoming a professor and that's who I had always dreamed of being. The man had done everything and had the wildest stories. He was the epitome of cool and so I put my all into that class. 

That class also kicked the living shit out of my burnt-out senior ass. 

I thought taking a class titled Classical Mythology would be a breeze.

It was in fact not a breeze. It was a Category 4 hurricane and I clung to my books as a life-guide throughout that course the same way I had my entire academic career.

To this day, that professor made reading Aeschylus' "The Oresteia" the most fun, engaging, and challenging project of my life. It still remains my favorite paper, but I can't recall the grade I got on it to be honest. By that year, grades were no longer important. 

I just needed to finish. The high-achieving student had finally reached the end of her rope and by the time I enrolled in that course, I just wanted out. 

That elective course whipped my slacker ass back into shape and that question gave me the spark to blaze through with. 

So again, I would like to thank that professor for starting that very first class with that question to us students. 

Had he not done that, I think I would've forgotten the reason why I put myself through 4 intensive and psychologically challenging years. 

Like Jaden Smith sang, "I'm just an icon living". 

That class put that into perspective for me.

If I keep working my absolute tail off, remain disciplined, keep focused, and most importantly - Dream - then I can do it. 

So, this is me doing it.

Attending a Writer's Workshop in Los Angeles with the intention of using all of this work to enter into the Master's program of my dream at a school I would have chosen had I been a different version of myself. 

I'm literally living my dream right now.

This is the wildest feeling, y'all.

Thanks for joining me here. 

Narrative Medicine is about getting to know the patient to understand how to best treat them. So, thank you for taking the time to get to know me. 

Once you understand the Who, we can tackle the What, When, Where, and Why's.

Again, thank you for joining me on this journey.