Twisting The Night Away

Rhythm is everything.
The groove seduced me when I was barely old enough to recognize it, but seize upon me it did, courtesy of Earl Palmer and D. J. Fontana’s thick fatback, and the big beat seeped into my blood, my soul, eventually extending into every area of my existence, allowing -as I did- the rhythms to spirit me away, trusting the feeling that throbbed deep in my loins. And over time, being able to read the current, discerning the fabric of life -my confidence growing with each new beat encountered- was essential in my grasp of the knowing and unknowing; the key to negotiating the ever changing shoreline. And when in the midst of a perfect groove, giving way to the flow, sitting peacefully in the whitewater of the current, to be able to watch the pieces of the puzzle fall easily into place because of your timing gives way to a satisfaction of no equal; nothing more sublime on this Earth.
Patience. Without it, you don’t know when to escape into the next section or whether to refrain. And the choice to hold back or diving into the fray can be the difference between success or failure, lift or fall, your composition coming to full realization with the right choice. And the understanding of the ever changing rhythm, the acceptance of its complexities, feeling it reverberate in your bones, extolling your muscles, filling your heart and inspiring your soul, will naturally impart to you when to react and how. And the more you trust, the more intuitive the response.
Lately I’ve grown to trust and accept the retards life brings. Those confusing times when the groove tacits to a slow burn. While most would flail and thrash against such an easing of the torque, I’ve learned to wallow in it, to recapture my breath, to ready myself for the next frenzy. It’s during these often grandiose retards that you’re able to see where the composition’s heading, and you can prepare as the tempo speeds up, adjusting your step, timing your next moves, giving way, suspending thought.
Life isn’t difficult. Life is a tango. How better to be able to sustain the duel, tantalize your partner, than to embrace the fluidity and step and swing with confidence, ease, and grace? To have access to that primal force, you must persevere, you must practice, you must study and apply. To have not that pocket at your beck and call, your instantaneous command, is to walk blind in a driving snowstorm.
Rhythm provides the dance of life. Every step you take, every move you make will be made better if you feel the pulse. A heartbeat sets your course. The current is never ending, only awaiting your participation.
Like James Brown said, “Get on the good foot”. Dance to your own rhythm. Twist and shout with utter abandon. Shake that ass with all you got! The world is feeding you, holding out its hand to you, the best partner you could ever ask for.