Pragmatic & Pretty

We're still in a Water Week, but the waves are starting to ebb a bit so the flow feels better for this kind of message. The listening for this writing is Sticky Finger 's " Queen ", because this song reminds me of all my Queens.  If that's not the right vibe for you, the other song behind this writing is Olivia Dean 's " Danger ". If you aren't an Olivia Dean fan then you need to be, because she is undoubtedly the next one to watch in the music industry.  Here we go... Let me start by saying ladies, there’s nothing I can say that you haven’t already figured out for yourself so this letter won’t be nearly as long as the one I wrote for the guys. I’m just going to re-affirm things for you (and myself) by starting off with: No, you’re not crazy. You’re just responding to your environment and THAT’S the crazy part. So, like I told the boys : Breathe. Just like my Aunty always tells me, everything starts with one really good deep breath. Center yourse...

Well friends, we’re entering a Water Week — not just a Water Day.  A Water Week is a series of Water Days back-to-back until you feel like you’ve been on your own Odyssey (journey) in the span of seven whole days. It’s high pressure and intensive growth. In a good way. An exhausting way. It’s letting your muscles heal after sprinting short intervals every day for weeks on end until you can run any relay race or out disc any competitor.  It’s letting your body rest while your brain breathes. This week we’re listening to a lot of earlier r&b voices like Anita Baker, Toni Braxton or even Teddy Pendergrass. It’s a “I’m homesick” kind of week, I think. So, the listening for this album is any version of “ Cruisin ” (originally) by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles . That song has transformed across generations to some of the grooviest articulations and vibes of any songs you ever want to hear. That’s why I will try to add every iteration (like this version by the legendary D'Ang...

Today's listening for this post is Audioslave's " Getaway Car ". It's been a "Getaway Car" kind of week, which will make all the more sense to you once you give the song a thorough listen. You know what my favorite fact of my life is?  It's that my first friend and my last friend will always be my Brother. I’ve known that since my eyes popped open in this universe and I’ve known that since I became a fully sentient, in control of my own body as a human being.   Let’s remember the Purpose of Pragmatic and Pretty .   This isn’t a blog about my story, it’s about multiple stories and how they’ve intertwined. With this purpose-driven blog about Narrative Medicine, I’ll be digging deep into my own Pavlov’ed psyche to explore connections I’ve made along my 30 years - but in order to do that, I must work backwards and go forwards. My starting point is always my Brother. My brother has always been my rhythm and rhyme. He has taught me how to follow the rhythm...

Listening for this reading is Audioslave ’s song “ Doesn’t Remind Me ”, but if that gets to be too heavy for you — switch to Happy Feet ’s “ Boogie Wonderland ” as sung by the late, great Brittany Murphy . When people ask me, I like to say I don’t have regrets — just lessons. I am only 30 after all.   One such lesson is the value of persistence even when things are their absolute hardest. That lesson was also learned the hardest possible way.  My brother and I learned that lesson After Daddy passed — we quit Tae Kwon Do right on the threshold of earning our black belts.   Up until ages 12 and 14 when our Daddy died, there wasn't a single thing my brother and I hadn't ever shared.  We did everything together, but everything at that point was strongly linked to our family foundation. Together, my brother and I had advanced over the period of four years from bushy-tailed and bright-eyed white belts all the way up to our multi-striped red belts.   We were on the ver...