Friday, May 28, 2010

Are You Ready!?!

This weekend a dear, dear friend of mine is coming to town: Folklife! Folklife has a significant role in my life because its craziness first revealed itself on my initial visit to Seattle; when I first fell in love with this place.

Don't know what Folklife is? Don't know what you're missing! Here, I'll fill ya in:

"Northwest Folklife creates opportunities for individuals and communities of the Pacific Northwest to celebrate, share and sustain the vitality of folk, ethnic and traditional arts for present and future generations." http://nwfolklife.org

It's basically a HUGE music festival at the Seattle Center, every year on Memorial Day weekend, and while most will be travelling eastward for the bigger more well known Sasquatch music festival at the Gorge, I will be happily staying here, enjoying my Folklife.

It definitely brings out the characters of Seattle. The hippies, the vegans, the artists, the naturalists ect. It is something not to be missed! In addition to the MANY music venues/shows ranging from African dance to Blue grass, there are tons of unique vendors, selling hemp bags, homemade ceramics and vegan food alternatives.

One of the many reasons I chose to move to the Evergreen State is because of the diverse cultures it offered compared to my home, Orange County. I LOVE the acceptance up here - the come as you are mentality - which is very different than the clone-like mentality I grew up with. It's alot easier to feel like you are truly accepted for being who you are, not what you have or wear. And for a people pleaser like me, the constant nerves over what others think of me are finally calmed. In Seattle, I find peace, a freedom from worrying about those Jones'.

Folklife celebrates our individual uniquenesses and encourages the masses to express themselves no matter how "different" they may be. It encourages us to let go of worrying about what others think because blending into social acceptance is definitely not what it's all about. I'm not saying man-kilts and dreadlocks are what it's all about either, but Folklife demonstrates there's room for us all in Seattle, room for us all in this world. Thanks for the reminder, Folklife!


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