Which is why I was hesitant to volunteer (shallow? definitely. honest? definitely) for CAASE, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation because it was held at the dave matthews band caravan (ugh). But it was for a great organization that my roommate works really hard for and I couldn't really say no to helping out such an important cause. So I went. It was way down on the south shore of Chicago, practically in Indiana. I couldn't believe how vast the whole thing turned out to be. We drove down a winding path of a road with one rent a fence after another, blocking off what seemed like endless rows of trailers and tour buses with huge generators and millions of power cables weaving through the dusty dirt and rocks of the parking lot. The crowds were young and old and clearly there only to see dave matthews band.
After an hour or so, I took a break from the booth where we were posted and walked towards the small clump of merchandise tents. Tapestries, nog champa, hemp flip flops, visors, patchwork everything/anything, tie dyed everything/anything, bob marley posters, pot leaf necklaces, glow sticks, organic candles, oils, hammocks, you name it. All the most 'spensive hippie identifiers one could possibly think to put in one saturated area were right under these tents, which spanned about half a mile. It was nauseating. The embarrassment was overwhelming and I thought of asking Serena if we could leave the festival all together (sry CAASE, just keeping it real). But, I came upon this little stand of amazing gems, crystals, druzy geodes, and handmade rings. Super excitement!
The man who ran the booth said he travels to Brazil at least four times a year to bring back the gems and crystals that he sells. He told me that my clear quartz crystal was from a very specific mine in brazil, where a community of wise, old miners share their knowledge of mining with the whole surrounding community, teaching the civilians how to find gems themselves...he went on to say that if I stared into the other side of the crystal, through the crystal itself and "into the horizon", landscapes would form and unanswered prayers and questions would become clear as "crystal". Not only was his pun adorable, so was his passion for gems and semi precious stones. He ran my finger over the surface of my clear quartz pendant and said that the ridges were like the rings of a tree trunk, that they were history bearing...that I was wearing the history of ancient Brazilian civilizations around my neck and that if my focus became disciplined enough, I too would acquire the knowledge and wisdom of the miners...
I told him to put his peyote gourd rattle down and flush his leftover stash of sugar cubes in the nearest port a potty because I wanted to make a purchase(s). Despite the fact that he was hyped up on goofballs in the humidity of 90 degree heat at 1:00pm, in the middle of what was basically a country club/golf course turned fair ground, he was still cool. I even went as far as to appease him by giving a prolonged stare into the "landscapes" in my crystal and cleansed it in the sun. He was happy, i was happy. Made my weekend in fact. Glad that I have such a good roommate(s), was able to volunteer for a good cause, pick up some super energy rocks, AND leave in time to spare my(ne and serena's) soul(s) and ears the pain that is dave matthews and his band of tackiness.
After an hour or so, I took a break from the booth where we were posted and walked towards the small clump of merchandise tents. Tapestries, nog champa, hemp flip flops, visors, patchwork everything/anything, tie dyed everything/anything, bob marley posters, pot leaf necklaces, glow sticks, organic candles, oils, hammocks, you name it. All the most 'spensive hippie identifiers one could possibly think to put in one saturated area were right under these tents, which spanned about half a mile. It was nauseating. The embarrassment was overwhelming and I thought of asking Serena if we could leave the festival all together (sry CAASE, just keeping it real). But, I came upon this little stand of amazing gems, crystals, druzy geodes, and handmade rings. Super excitement!
The man who ran the booth said he travels to Brazil at least four times a year to bring back the gems and crystals that he sells. He told me that my clear quartz crystal was from a very specific mine in brazil, where a community of wise, old miners share their knowledge of mining with the whole surrounding community, teaching the civilians how to find gems themselves...he went on to say that if I stared into the other side of the crystal, through the crystal itself and "into the horizon", landscapes would form and unanswered prayers and questions would become clear as "crystal". Not only was his pun adorable, so was his passion for gems and semi precious stones. He ran my finger over the surface of my clear quartz pendant and said that the ridges were like the rings of a tree trunk, that they were history bearing...that I was wearing the history of ancient Brazilian civilizations around my neck and that if my focus became disciplined enough, I too would acquire the knowledge and wisdom of the miners...
I told him to put his peyote gourd rattle down and flush his leftover stash of sugar cubes in the nearest port a potty because I wanted to make a purchase(s). Despite the fact that he was hyped up on goofballs in the humidity of 90 degree heat at 1:00pm, in the middle of what was basically a country club/golf course turned fair ground, he was still cool. I even went as far as to appease him by giving a prolonged stare into the "landscapes" in my crystal and cleansed it in the sun. He was happy, i was happy. Made my weekend in fact. Glad that I have such a good roommate(s), was able to volunteer for a good cause, pick up some super energy rocks, AND leave in time to spare my(ne and serena's) soul(s) and ears the pain that is dave matthews and his band of tackiness.
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