Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Gratituesday: Rap and strawberries

Odd title, I know. 
But, unless you have been under a rock the past week,  everyone knows Adam Yauch died this weekend. And for those of you who read my blog and are not  members of Generation X, he was one of the Beastie Boys. Now, I did not personally know Adam, aka MCA, but he had a profound effect on my social life. I listened to Licensed to Ill while getting ready to go out when I was a freshman in college. I listened to Ill Communication while getting ready to go to work waiting tables. I listened to Hello Nasty as I spent hours driving  between St. Louis and Nashville, St. Louis and Indianapolis, Indianapolis and Chattanooga, Chattanooga and Nashville. (Basically, it was a road trip CD.)


My kids know the words to Intergalactic, No Sleep 'til Brooklyn and of course, Brass Monkey. Classy, I know. But those songs get us rocking. I can hear any Beastie Boys song and burst into dance in a heartbeat. I love them. There, I said it. 
Beastie Boys in Los Angeles
Via

Two things really hit me about Adam's death. First, he is only 7 years older than I. Second, he and his band, are a huge part of the musical landscape of my life and most of my generation's life. We all know the words to Fight for your Right (to party) , even if we don't like rap. Also, Adam represented what I think of as being a part my generation's "thing". We were the" End Apartheid" generation, the "Free Tibet" generation. And, as we have all had kids, gotten jobs, moved on to home ownership, that seems to be something we have moved away from. Adam Yauch was a huge advocate of the fight against the injustices that have been going on against native Tibetans by the Chinese. He never stopped, even as he "grew up".  I see his death as either a wake up call or the end of an era for Gen X'ers. 
As I ponder what that means for me, I am grateful for all the fun times and crazy memories that come back when I hear a Beastie Boys song. 





I also loaded up on strawberries this weekend, thanks to a huge favor from one of my favorite people. I normally never get to eat the strawberries that I buy as my eleven year old fruit fly eats them all.
But, this week I got two gallons! Ha!
And, as they are one of life's sweetest and simplest pleasures, I am in heaven.
 

I am so grateful this week for Paul and STRAWBERRIES!

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