Shuffle Synchronicities: Volume 1.5 - #375
"Donda Chat" by Kanye West - 03/26/22
"Donda Chat" by Kanye West
I had a really nice day today.
It kind of started on Thursday night.
I had my usual tennis game that’s been going on for about six months now.
And one of the guys in that group, who I’ve grown particularly fond of, as a fellow Aries, invited me to his birthday party for this weekend.
We were laughing a lot while playing on Thursday because I was wearing a particularly tony tennis outfit.
The only clothes I’ve bought this year have mostly been tennis outfits.
He started this bit where I should just pretend I played college tennis and get a job working at a country club as a pro.
The bit later devolved into me sleeping with all the wives.
But it was a great laugh.
I then had Doubles for Singles on Friday night.
It started off a little rough.
Because only one of my friends came for the first hour.
I quickly lost the first set 6-0 to him, because I was so in my head about the lack of turnout.
I doom spiraled in my head about how out of 15 million people in LA, no one wanted to come to play doubles tennis with me.
But then I started to turn the pain into art, by brainstorming with him about a TV/movie idea for a guy who gets divorced and learns that he has a 7-year curse where he can never fall in love or be with anyone romantically due to how the marriage ended.
We laughed about what that would do to someone.
To just wait out their purgatory cycle.
Kind of like a Groundhog’s Day.
Which has always been one of my favorite movies.
But then with the pain sublimated and a clearer headspace, I went on to get a 4-1 lead on him in the next set.
And then people did start to come.
We all had a lot of fun.
And I ended up later that night nude in a hot tub with a female friend.
Nothing more than that.
But that was by design for both of us.
Yet, the curse seems to still be in effect ;)
But back to today.
In the morning I had a bodywork session with my energy healer that worked on my stomach and third chakra issues.
I told him I was a little nervous to go to this birthday party.
It’s kind of a new social circle for me.
They all, it seemed, know each other for many years.
But by the end of the bodywork session, I felt really at ease.
And the beach birthday party was really a lot of fun.
Kids running around.
Volleyball.
Ultimate frisbee.
Great food.
Beautiful weather.
Lots of laughs.
I felt very welcome.
People seemed a little confused when they asked how I knew the birthday man.
“You guys just play tennis together?”
“Yeah, basically.”
But then when we described the community we’ve been building, people seemed to get it more.
I wish I had that someone said.
And we offered more people into the group.
Right when I got back to my car, my mom texted me and asked if I wanted to watch a movie with her.
During the pandemic, we watched movies at the same time and talked on the phone.
She pitched Belfast or King Richard.
And I immediately jumped on the tennis movie, King Richard, about Venus and Serena Williams and their dad, Richard Williams, played by Will Smith.
The movie was SO good.
I really hope it wins some of its Oscars.
Along with Encanto, I’d say it was my favorite movie of the year.
Well, French Dispatch was good, too, and even The Batman.
But, yes, definitely see it if you haven’t yet.
After we finished the movie, my mom told me how glad she was we watched it together and I felt the same way.
She told me that she’s so happy that I’ve also gotten into tennis.
Like me, she’s also the ringleader/organizer of many tennis groups.
And she said that it is hard to explain to others but she doesn’t know how she would have made it through losing dad if she didn’t have her tennis friends.
Real relationships get formed there through the bonding and camaraderie of playing together, she said.
I had cried a few tears during the movie.
And felt them welling up again.
We hung up soon after.
And I asked the shuffle/my dad/the spirits for a song.
And of course, he/it/them came through.
Once again, no joke, no lie…
But it played:
“Donda Chant” by Kanye West
Which is the opening song to Kanye’s tribute album to his deceased mother from August 2021.
It’s just her name repeated over and over by a female singer, Syleena Johnson, in many different wondrous ways.
My second thought after how the synchronicities can be so incredible.
So incredible that Richard Williams wouldn’t have farted if I use that word incredible twice (inside joke for those who have seen it LOL)
Was how with those same tennis friends, when this album came out, we spent a whole game night chanting ‘Donda, Donda, Donda’ whenever we had a winning point.
It’s those kinds of inside jokes that build relationships and friendships.
Thank you tennis and Venus and Serena and Richard and Will and Kanye and Donda ;)
Okay, that’s the three hundred and seventy-fifth Shuffle Synchronicities.