February 1, 2022
Almost two years after all of our lives were inexorably changed, I find myself reflecting most about my shift in perspective. Where panic and uncertainty once flooded my consciousness after each new week brought another creative and monetary cancellation to our company, I now can breathe and be ok with chaos in a way I once could not. Part of that comes with spending so much time with small children over these months and learning to flow with them and say “yes” instead of trying to control their impulses but this thing has taught me above all to focus on the things I CAN control and NOT the things I CAN’T.
As a society, we all have been forced to focus on new parts of our lives. My wife and I started our children at a Muslim school to try and actively practice anti-racism (no small feat) and it has grown into a beatuiful and supportive community for us. I learned to truly love to cook again after burning out when I did it as a job in my twenties. The slow down in work and scheduling allowed my wife and I to talk more and listen to each other in ways we weren’t able to give ourselves to each other before the lock downs. I started running to get out of the house a year and a half ago and have since ran my first half marathon at 40. I will run my first full marathon in June. The Q Brothers Collective and I were able to focus on more passionate creative projects and making music again as a new venture in: “The Rap Pack.” I also took a leap of faith on myself this last fall and began purchasing a camera and digital video equipment. I’ve always edited video for the collective but never bothered to take a deep dive into all facets of digital production. There is an endless continuum of evolving tech and craft to hone but the rewards have already begun to be reaped. I manifested that I was going to do something one day and so I financed a camera and lens, began watching Youtube videos to learn, and I started a business.
– Jax