deva and the manifesto

deva primal and her thick german accent and beautiful sacred chants at the bethesda theater were she played with krishna das. my favorite moment was when her partner was prompting her to tell a story about india and she was hesitant because she thought she had told the story before and she didn't like to repeat herself. then she started laughing when she realized that by singing these same chants over and over that all she ever does is repeat herself. our greatest strengths are also our greatest weaknesses.

also, below is the original lovers manifesto that i wrote at the pick-up, drop-off zone of the miami aiport, in the middle of my three years of living in peru. it gave a name to the kinds of people i had been meeting and our inspiring interactions during my travels through south america

"we are lovers and dreamers because we become like the water in the constant pursuit of moving and shaking what the universe has bestowed upon us in its perfect diction of saturday afternoon picnics. we refuse to stagnate, withdraw, give-up, escape for more than a few hours at a time. we see life for the process and have always loved happiness for its sexy elusiveness. in turn, we have learned to love her twin sister of heartbreak and how it comes to leave us a different person, knowing more about beauty and kindness than we thought possible. we believe in: dancing as prayer, chewing slowing, asking questions and listening to the answers, impromptu morning mass on deserted mountain tops, delirious gratitude, homemade bread, riveting conversation, and cups of tea when the moment requires rest. we are not afraid of change, our bodies, getting older, technology, confusion, bursts of anger, or the elusiveness of everything we seek. we have learned to sit still to see that which reaches beyond us and connects every single part of this world. by seeing the connection, we finally know there is no more need to fight. we are fed by each other, lessons learned, children´s sticky faces, treetops waving in the breeze, and above all, the love that loves to love us. we tough it out, we change, and we will change this world through consideration, compost piles of ideas, and a willingness to laugh in the face of anything that seems too big, too closed, or too difficult. we make loving look good..."