Flor de Muerto~ Flower of the Dead

It's been a full few days, and I feel exhausted. My sister was in town for a visit so have been spending a lot of time with my family. We took my sister, Jenna, to the All Souls Procession and then to the Calexico show on Sunday. It was a strange and magical night. I think my sister was a bit tripped out by the procession and with people dressed up as the dead. It truly is a unique experience. It's almost as if people get to let another side of themselves out to play, to be wild and alive.

After the parade, we went over to the Rialto Theater and it was beautifully decorated with colorful streamers, day-of-the-dead flags and a giant skull over the stage. The theater and the show was truly enchanting. It is one of the best shows I have seen. Actually, it was really more of an experience than a show. Calexico marched single-file with their instruments from the street to the stage. The music was awesome and it seemed everyone was feeling and playing at their best. The room was alive and the energy of the band and the crowd that night carried us home. There was a moment when Calexico was marching to the stage where I felt myself fall a little for Tucson. In that moment, I felt a new appreciation for this place, for this spread out desert town and the people here. I love the creative, alternative side of Tucson because it's a surprise. Though I find the energy here hard to hold onto and unpredictable, I do love the unbounded creativity that is present. Tucson is a good place to grow and heal and learn. The scattered energy that bounces around this arid land is different but is teaching me a thing or two about how to adapt to the changing rhythm of life.

Surprised,

Marcia