Observing Prince from the sidelines

April 25, 2016 by Soul On Ice

This is prefaced by saying there are many Prince tribute pieces in the universe which are much more nuanced all over the internet. Hell, acquaintances, some of who will be mentioned throughout this piece, and who ingratiated themselves with Prince at a consistent and feverish pace, have written lengthy, informative, and entertaining pieces about the purple one. Pieces such as one published on his dreams and having the ambition to see his dreams manifest into reality while the world seemingly played catchup (1) are spot-on. Articles about Prince’s seemingly effortless ability to maneuver through time (2), on his unapologetic manner of bringing depth to a preconceived definition of blackness, gender and sensuality (3) or how Prince was a hero to strippers (4), or his ability to push boundaries and showcase his independence (5) are proof of such.

This is more of getting to the party late, or starting the race after countless others took off. It is akin to being a part of a team, but not getting any playing time. It is one thing to observe the action on the court, but it’s another to actually be a part of the action on the court. It’s one thing to watch the game; it’s another thing to feel the game. For years, watching the game from the bench was sufficient, but as time passed, it became a necessity to go from a mere spectator to a full-fledged participant. The goal wasn’t to win the MVP; it was simply to blend in the crowd and the action after being so far behind. Embracing a new sound, one that had been previously listened to in a more casual manner, and allowing that sound to become an extension of your evolution as a person, is what Prince did for the last several years.

Tales from the needle: Volume V

April 22, 2016 by Soul On Ice in Tales from the needle

Tales from the Needle is a weekly series which will highlight people and their tattoos. Some people have a favorite tat, their most memorable ink. Some people put more emphasis on the needle from a tattoo gun penetrated their skin while others have one they wish they never put any ink on their body.

Every Friday, the blog will have a first-person story of a person and their tats of choice, using only images of their tats keeps the theme of this being a faceless site. The images seen here will merely aid in bringing nuance to the numerous layers that compose the person.

Let's go to the movies...or not

April 20, 2016 by Soul On Ice

A trip to the movies in the latter part of 2015 was far different than any trip taken prior. At one time, the process of buying a ticket was fairly simple and uneventful. In person, the process was straight-forward: Say hello to the cashier (because it is always good to be polite), inform the cashier of what you want to see and pay the price of admission. If there’s a student discount, use a student ID, because there’s no need to let a perfectly good discount go to waste. Anyway, it was all very routine, and as someone who likes routine when it comes to hobbies and interests, much appreciated. This trip, however, was different. There was still the usual of going to the cashier, saying hello, and informing the cashier of the movie of choice. After that, things got weird:

Cashier: “Okay, sir. Two for Creed. Where would you like to sit?” The question was strange, and the response must have been strange to the cashier when the answer from me was “I don’t know. I’ll figure it out when I walk in.” At that point, I extended some money to the window to pay, but the cashier wouldn’t take it. Instead, he said seats had to be chosen before paying. There was an urge to reply with something along the lines of “I’m not going to a damn rap concert. I’m going to the movies. What’s the big deal?” However, that was quickly shot down. For starters, there was no need to cause a scene and, for two, rules are rules. Instead of acting a fool, I briefly scanned the seating chart, looked at the remaining seats, and chose two. The cashier took the money, gave me two tickets and told me to enjoy the show.

Book Review: How Starbucks saved my life

April 18, 2016 by Soul On Ice in Book Reviews

There is a particular aspect of writing in a book that is deeply admired and wholly appreciated anytime a book comes to the house (more often than not) from Amazon with the blessing of Prime shipping: storytelling with the limited use of first-person. Writing and storytelling aren’t the same thing. Writing has to have a certain level of objectivity while storytelling really doesn’t. There’s a place for both of them in the world of literature, but as more books get read, more emphasis is being put on writers who can tell great stories without littering the pages in the first-person.

It seems picky, and it kinda is, and it’s not something that is even noticeable unless you’re a book snob or a writing snob, but whatever. This rationale was adopted thanks to the great Myles Brown. Myles said something once about how much smoother writing is when the first person isn’t bastardized all over the pages, and he is absolutely correct. Hell, writing a dissertation less than a year ago should’ve been enough proof of that because the use of first-person is absolutely prohibited in that style of writing. Anyways, autobiographies have a steady place on any bookshelf at work or at home, simply because it takes courage to tell your own story which is the case of How Starbucks Saved My Life, a book written by Michael Gates Gill.