As i made last preparations for my holiday I weekend...I began to think about what I was doing and where I was going and overall questioned what the deeper meaning of Essence Festival is.
Being analytical in almost all I do my first inquiries led me to Webster. What is the definition of essence? Perhaps this could set the tone for a festival of such great magnitude.
Essence: (noun) the basic, real, and invariable nature of a thing or its significant individual feature or features
Sounds simple enough in a general sense, but when applied to a festival- how radical, welcoming, and all around powerful. I'm not sure what this means to you, but to me- the bottom line is: come celebrate being you. Now we are all very much aware of how complex and complicated humans are- from the physiological aspect of the body and genetics and health to the psychological elements regarding thoughts, emotions, and culture. But how awesome is it that these complexities and nuances are the exact ingredients of this party.
Party- yes I mean the festival itself. Filled with activities, guest speakers, music, and food. With common themes of self-empowerment, self-care and health; entertainment by legends, lyricists, and musical poets; and of course faith, food, and fellowship.
Even more interesting is it that this event takes places over Independence Day weekend. My thought: when would there be a better time? Is Independence Day not about freedom? How much more free can you be- after all, the only criteria necessary is being true.
But there lies the struggle- for some the question becomes what is true? Who am I being true too? It is myself? My loved ones? Society? What am I being true for? What's my cause or stand? For others- it's not who or what but rather when and where? When is the time to be my true self? Perhaps your job or community finds your truest self to be eclectic or ethnic- so where is it acceptable or maybe even refreshing to be free and unconstrained? But the largest question is why: why must these other parameters even be considered? Why can't we just be?
So as I close my suitcase and close this post- I've never been more pleased with wearing red white and blue, been more proud of being an African American, been more more aware of who I am and my purpose, or simply been more excited to board a plane! I'm definitely ready to "party with a purpose". So get to know your true self and be free wherever you are this holiday weekend.
#essencefest #nola
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