MIX: Beat Street

WPOD – White Punks on Dope, 1975, A Tubes classic! This is for you, Mandy and Cali…..

The above quote, Major Frank Burns.

Tubes and MASH references……I am skewing to an older demo.

Back to December 1, 2023…. A celebration of 50 years of hip hop, which if course, just screams Christmas, right? It is no longer my world. The young man now responsible for planning these events has done an outstanding job and always comes over to chat and get my read on how the event is being received. I will say, the dance floor was packed and it was packed the entire evening. I am MIX and it is me.

This year we held ten such events at the museum. I worked nine of them, missing the October event to visit our daughters in Chicago. Two events since that I am still having multiple people tell me I was missed at the event. I am MIX and it is me.

I believe it was our great friend, Micki Finn, who said when asked how long it takes her to get ready to go out, how long do I have? I have the same experience. Whatever amount of time I have available to me, I seem to use every second of it. Knowing I wanted to walk out the door at 4:30, I started early hoping to get some time to clean up a few things at my desk before leaving. When I get ready, I generally do not watch the clock (principally because I cannot actually see it). Inevitably, I’ll wrap up at exactly the time I was thinking, whether it took an hour or two and a half hours.

The outfit, I believe, left me looking quite regal. The queen, at her post, greeting patrons, stopping beverages from going beyond “this point”, smiling, taking photos for others, chatting, hugging and generally feeling blessed with my place in this awesome space. “For the benefit off all people forever”. This world class art museum, free to all, always has been, always will be. Free to all. There many be no other such place on the planet.

I guess the greatest feeling is when I walk in from the garage. The folks working the parking booths always great me happily. I never have to show any volunteer credentials, always allowed right in with big smiles. When I am walking into the building at the same time as others, gentlemen almost always hold the door for me. Guards, fellow volunteers, all over the place in preparation for the event. All welcome me, say hello or give me a big smile. I pick up a few warm up hugs along the way.

I have no real great stories from this evening. Just me basking in the warm glow of having spent more time getting ready, to and fro, than actual time spent at the museum but knowing it was worth it. The love for me is palpable. It is real and it is awesome. So the realities of my life we discussed yesterday weight me down, days like this lift me up. More holiday related events remain just around the corner.