After dinner Oamji met us in front of the meeting hall. We sat on the ledge and he asked us if we knew any songs. He pointed at me first and all I could think of was I Wanna Hold Your Hand by the Beatles because Sara and I had talked before about how that’s all she would be able to think of. He sang after me and …it was powerful. His voice has silences you at first and then beckons you to join in. I could hear tradition and ancient peoples in his voice. There is a lot I can learn from Oamji, a lot to enjoy about this wise, gentle, smiling man.
Oamji asked us to sing more songs and it turns out we had a lot in common. Trent said that we definitely knew more than the last two years’ groups. In a miniscule way, this was a good thing for us to hear. Of course we have been hearing so much about last year’s group and the year before that and now this is something that will be said about us: that we knew a lot of songs. For me, at least, it’s been hard and comforting to walk where others I hold close have walked and to hear my new friends talk about my older ones.
I was had on my contra dancing skirt, bare feet, a smile on my face, and my whole body felt afire with the beating of the drums, the reverberating voices, and intensity of good things to come.
Mostly all of us danced. I did the whole time and forgot my back ache and fatigue and let the energy of the rhythm pulse through me. Oamji and I found ourselves sitting next to each other and he said to me.
“Demetrius always sang and danced with me. He would dance like this.” And he did some movements with his arms and I smiled. I told Oamji that sometimes Demetrius and I dance and that he and I are always laughing when we’re together and how happy he makes me.
Oamji replied, “I am happy to have a continuation of Demetrius, and such an active lady!”
I think I feel that way about him as well…
Towards the very end.. after an hour of dancing and singing mostly everyone was sitting down, but Bo, Malika, Suddha, myself, and Oamji were still going strong. Oamji held out his hands and pulled me and twirled me and then did the same to Sara who was sitting on the ledge. It was just the five of us going in a circle .. left, then right, then in, then out.
I stayed up late afterwards. The four of us in the room couldn’t stop laughing and finally I think that’s what exhausted us.
Oamji asked us to sing more songs and it turns out we had a lot in common. Trent said that we definitely knew more than the last two years’ groups. In a miniscule way, this was a good thing for us to hear. Of course we have been hearing so much about last year’s group and the year before that and now this is something that will be said about us: that we knew a lot of songs. For me, at least, it’s been hard and comforting to walk where others I hold close have walked and to hear my new friends talk about my older ones.
I was had on my contra dancing skirt, bare feet, a smile on my face, and my whole body felt afire with the beating of the drums, the reverberating voices, and intensity of good things to come.
Mostly all of us danced. I did the whole time and forgot my back ache and fatigue and let the energy of the rhythm pulse through me. Oamji and I found ourselves sitting next to each other and he said to me.
“Demetrius always sang and danced with me. He would dance like this.” And he did some movements with his arms and I smiled. I told Oamji that sometimes Demetrius and I dance and that he and I are always laughing when we’re together and how happy he makes me.
Oamji replied, “I am happy to have a continuation of Demetrius, and such an active lady!”
I think I feel that way about him as well…
Towards the very end.. after an hour of dancing and singing mostly everyone was sitting down, but Bo, Malika, Suddha, myself, and Oamji were still going strong. Oamji held out his hands and pulled me and twirled me and then did the same to Sara who was sitting on the ledge. It was just the five of us going in a circle .. left, then right, then in, then out.
I stayed up late afterwards. The four of us in the room couldn’t stop laughing and finally I think that’s what exhausted us.
posted by Kate at Wednesday, January 11, 2006
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