Photo: Joe Stump
Matador editor Julie Schwietert and former First Twin, Barbara Bush, sit beneath Russell Simmons’ Buddha, giving Julie something to meditate about.
“Russell Simmons has a lot of Buddhas.”
That’s one thought I have as I realize my cup of coffee has tipped over onto the gorgeous Persian rug covering the floor of his ample living room… the rug the moderator has expressly asked us *not* to rest our coffee cups upon.
Oops.
“Russell Simmons OWNS the Shepard Fairey ‘Obama Hope’ painting.”
That’s another thought.
“And a Basquiat.”
That’s the third thought, and the last one I have before I hear John Forte (who, I will later learn, is a rapper and former producer of The Fugees), addressing another member of the group, asking her to “thank your father for granting me a pardon.”
Forte, you see, was just released from prison in January, after President Bush commuted his 14 year federal sentence (of which he served seven years) for a drug-related conviction.
That means he is addressing President George W. Bush’s daughter.
I stop trying to sop up my coffee as Forte picks up the guitar to play his song, “Breaking of a Man”:
*
It’s a rainy Saturday in September and I’m one of about 40 people under 40 years old sitting in the living room of hip hop mogul and philanthropist Russell Simmons, gathered here–directly across from the World Trade Center site–to “create an honest and open assessment of our generation and develop action items that will grow [among group members] and ultimately unite the generation in a more meaningful way.”
The people seated in the circle represent some of the most important thinkers and doers of my generation. Some of them are people whose work I’ve been interested in for a long time, like Jay Parkinson, founder of Hello Health, and Jehane Noujaim, documentary filmmaker and director of “Control Room” and “Pangea Day.”
There are also people I haven’t heard of before, but over the course of the weekend, I learn their stories. Dan Choi, the Army National Guard Arabic linguist and Iraq War veteran who was discharged for acknowledging he was gay. Robert Reffkin, a Wall Street analyst who’s running a marathon in every US state to raise money for underprivileged kids. Debbie Berebichez, aka “The Science Babe,” who takes her PhD in physics to break down the scientific mysteries of daily life (the physics of high heels?) in an accessible way (she’s particularly passionate about getting young girls interested in science).
I don’t know about you, but the big lessons I have to learn in life are the ones that are the toughest to “get.”
There are women and men; blacks, whites, Asians, Latinos, and biracial folks; Muslims, Christians, Jews, and agnostics; Republicans, Democrats, and Libertarians; people from really wealthy families and those of us from middle or lower class backgrounds; people who are familiar with the polished wood tables of the nations’ most influential board rooms and those of us with more experience in street activism.
I look around and notice all the difference.
*
I find myself in a break-out group with Barbara Bush, daughter of the former president. I’ve made no effort to restrain myself from offering my assessment of her father openly here on Matador, compiling a round-up of his less articulate moments and praising the Iraqi “shoe throw” journalist (and just wishing he had better aim) and I sit in our circle with a concealed dubiousness about what she brings to the table other than her name.
One of the Buddhas is poised in a corner of the room, a benign presence on this overcast afternoon, the day after the 8th anniversary of the attacks, in a penthouse within view of the WTC site. Its golden legs folded easily into a triangle, its forehead relaxed, the Buddha’s eyes look down at us without judgment.
Me?
I’ve judged Barbara before she has a chance to share her ideas, projecting her father’s ideology and his shortcomings onto her unfairly. It’s only when she speaks up about health care and the potential uses of technology that I realize we actually have a great deal in common. She’s articulate, thoughtful, a good listener. The hour allotted for our conversation ends quickly. I’m surprised that I want to know more about her work, to hear more of what she has to say.
*
I don’t know about you, but the big lessons I have to learn in life are the ones that are the toughest to “get.” Being patient? Recognizing that sometimes getting my way or being right will do more harm than good (even if I am right)? Being in the moment? Being non-judgmental? The opportunities to finally get these–and get them right–come up over and over again. I don’t know if that’s the challenge of my generation, but it’s certainly *my* challenge, and it’s what I take away from the weekend, and what I realize I need to work on moving forward.
About the Author
Related Posts
11 Comments... join the discussion!
-
-
When I started reading I thought you were describing a dream! Amazing.
↵ -
I agree with Reeti’s point about something you just said in another post, Julie, about the fact that we all have pre-conceived notions, and really, the worst aspect of that is that we forget that we all have them.
I think the biggest challenge for our generation has to do with finding that common ground, getting to the root of what is beneficial for literally all people, and moving past the idea that one must be torn down in order for another to rise up. It is a huge paradigm shift that I know many people are working on every single day, and we can easily fall back to our old ways. But I think it is important to keep our eye on that prize, and not let the naysayers keep us down.
Thanks for this post, Julie.
↵ -
Wow, Julie! What an incredible read….it just hits on so many truths. The beauty of it all is the universe will keep providing us lesson after lesson so we can grow deeper in our understanding of all these things and transform how we go about living in this world full of so much…everything.
It’s also quite an honor to have been invited to be there in the first place, so don’t forget to shine in the acknowledgement of all the great things you are working towards. It’s a delicate balance we all walk.
↵ -
How cool that you got to interact with all of those inspiring people! And I think we all have preconceived notions about people in the public eye (celebrities, athletes, politicians), it’s (unfortunately) human nature. Like it was said in earlier comments, the important thing to take from it is to recognize that we do have these ideas/judgements and figure out what to do about it.
↵ -
Right on, Julie. This is a great piece. Can’t wait to read more about this experience!
↵ -
Inspiring indeed. Thanks so much for this.
As different as we all are, our propensity to rush to judgment, to delineate and box people up remains one of man’s greatest weaknesses.
This is one of the reasons why I love the E.E. Cummings quote below.
“To be nobody but yourself in a world that’s doing its best to make you someone else is to find the hardest battle you’re ever going to fight. Never stop fighting”.
Powerful.
↵ -
Inspiring indeed. Thanks so much for this.
As different as we all are, our propensity to rush to judgment, to delineate and box people up remains a major similarity and one of man’s greatest weaknesses.
This is one of the reasons why I love the E.E. Cummings quote below.
“To be nobody but yourself in a world that’s doing its best to make you someone else is to fight the hardest battle you’re ever going to fight. Never stop fighting”.
Powerful.
↵ -
I too thought this was a dream at first. Wow, great opportunity.
↵ -
julie, i felt like i was right there with you.
thanks so much for this post.
↵ -
I loved this post, Julie! I’ve done yoga with Russell Simmons a few times and I’ve always been amazed at how much people respect him beyond his celebrity status…He is truly one of the most active members of the yoga center, and it seems like he always manages to bridge gaps and bring vastly different people together in the name of justice and spirituality. This sounds like it was such a cool event!
↵
