Blog « Dayna Lynn | The Call

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:42pm

angry but motivated.

“Bllck! Bllck! Bllck! Bllck! Bllck! Wee-ooh, wee-oh weeeeeee…”
The South Side sounds like a war zone. Gun violence has spread like a virus and it has got my blood boiling. I hear multiple instances of gunshots outside my bedroom window every night. As I drove through the alley behind my house the other day, I imagined the city of Chicago being put on a curfew in order to curtail the violence that comes over the streets at night.

Certain folks have got us believing that terrorism only comes in the form of an Arab or Muslim. So, we’d better send more troops to Afghanistan and Iraq. We must fight them overseas so that we don’t have to fight them at home. Well, Department of Homeland Security, there are some terrorists that live in my community. They illegally possess handguns. And with them, they kill innocent little girls, and young black boys that have yet to realize their potential.

I’m one of those people that likes to think beyond race because I know that the real issue is power: money, land and natural resources. But I tell you, if the gun violence that overwhelmingly and disproportionately plagues black neighborhoods were to happen in, oh, I don’t know, say Schaumburg or New Trier; white folks would be up in arms. However, it’d probably only be because they would fear a decrease in property values. hmpf.

So what is to be done? Complain? Pray? Then pray some more?
I feel so powerless, yet something MUST be done. Clearly, the Chicago Police Department ain’t doin much. Legislators down in Springfield have suggested that we have the National Guard come and patrol the neighborhoods where this gun violence is occurring. But, these are OUR neighborhoods where WE feel unsafe and OUR children who are being murdered. We’ve marched, but then what?

I’d really love to do something radical like have sit-ins around the city. Huge masses of people would stage sit-ins in their neighborhoods overnight. There would be a sense of empowerment and connectedness that would occur. We would take back our streets! The number of people who are not shooting and participating in gun violence surely outweigh those that do. The question would be, how would I organize something like this?

Any ideas?

Posted in soapbox | 1 Comment »

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Wednesday, May 19, 2010 2:03pm

changes and hope.

Last year this time, I was living in Brooklyn, Bed-Stuy in a nice 2 bedroom apartment. I lived with my young and spry cat, Rocky. And my roommate was a teaching/traveling tap dancer.

I was slowly losing my mind.

In the midst of an existential crisis, I was on the border of finding something “easier” to do with my life. I was reeling on the end of a self help binge: Dr. Wayne Dyer, Esther & Jerry Hicks, Bashar, and anything else I could get my hands on. I look back on fall 2008 to summer 2009 as the least luckiest times of life. It seemed like everything I touched burned to ash: jobs, relationships, career opportunities. By the end of it all, I felt like I was sitting in the middle of a fire pit with the remnants of my life spread around me. At the time, moving back to Chicago was the hardest decision for me to make.

Having my own space was easy to get used to. My roommate was often traveling around the country, so most of the time it was just me and Rocky. My boyfriend would visit, but by April, he was away on tour and we were broken up most of the time.

I was in love. I had put so much energy into encouraging and motivating him to stick with music and the opportunities he was being giving. I told him that it would work out in his favor at the end of it all. It did. Meanwhile, I was feeling the same doubt and inadequacy that he was feeling. Although I wasn’t getting the same energy put into me, at least not from him. My family was my encourager, but they were hundreds of miles away. So, as my eyes flooded with tears, I decided to move back to Chicago.

I think that my breakup with my former boyfriend is the Great Marker between eras of my life. Literally, the next week, after it all went down, my life just flipped upside down in the best way possible. Things started happening for me. Its like someone fixed the antenna on the tv and everything was all clear, I had good reception.

While I was going through in New York, I wrote two songs that are probably my favorite lyrics on my new album. “Hope” and “Changes”. Every time I hear them, I get transported back to where I was spiritually. But this time, I have the perspective that I could write about yet couldn’t see.

Could there be a glimmer of hope
Just waiting to be seen by you?
Hoping to let its love light shine through
Illuminate your deepest truth
The one that says you can have, do, and be anything
Your mind can see
You manifesting visionary
Its only you
Holding you
Back from you
The highest you
Greatest you
That thing you think you can’t do

Lost hope
Old Dreams
New Life
What does it mean?

Lost (and Found) Hope
(Revives) Old Dreams
(Creates) new Life
Now you see

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 6:10pm

NWA said it best

I realize some people may be offended by the the lyrics I’ve posted … *should shrug*

F*** tha police
Comin straight from the underground
Young n**ga got it bad cuz I’m brown
And not the other color so police think
They have the authority to kill a minority

F*** that s**t, cuz I ain’t tha one
For a punk muthaf***a with a badge and a gun
To be beatin on, and throwin in jail
We could go toe to toe in the middle of a cell
NWA, F**** the Police

I’ve never thought of myself as a political or social revolutionary. I’m more of a spiritual maverick. However, I am far from apathetic about issues that plague the human race.

The territorial nature of people baffles me, especially Americans. None of us are native to this land. When most of us Americans came to the USA, we were subjected to the same discrimination and hatred that Mexicans, particularly in Arizona, are now. Heck, some of us still are after being here for 100’s of years. I guess I don’t fully understand why certain American’s are against immigration and immigrant rights.

Maybe its a guilt and fear issue. Maybe they think that Mexicans are going to come to America and wipe out all of the White people just like the Europeans did the Native American tribes. Or, maybe they’ll take all the jobs, whatever is left, just like it was feared that the Irish and Italians would when they came. Now, the police have carte blanche to “protect” us passport toting American’s from those dangerous, freedom seeking Mexicans.

On a different, but strongly related note, a couple of lawmakers in Illinois have proposed that that the National Guard be brought to Chicago to help curb the recent surge in gun violence. Somebody hold my tea! EXCUUUUSE ME! [insert neck roll] I’d just like to say that the last time the National Guard came to Chicago, they were invited to join the protesters at the Democratic National Convention in 1968. That was a wild year. Is that what we are in store for?

I personally have a healthy level of skepticism concerning the police, the military and the government. Each only has as much power as is given to them by the people. The scary part is that people seem quite eager to give their power away to anyone they deem to have the gumption to act on their behalf. Mostly because many of us don’t deem ourselves capable.

Well, you know what I say to that? “F*** the Police”!

Who’s got the power
Is it “us” or “them”?
We feed it, it grows
And then we condemn
We give them what they want
They give us what what we need
But, don’t point any fingers, we’re all guilty of greed

We drive bigger cars
To pretentiously strut
With bigger diamonds
Bigger clothes
For our bigger butts
Insatiable, no satisfaction
Nothing is enough to move us to action
Whitney’s problems are too much of a distraction

Let’s be an Action Oriented Society
Dissidents for change to impart
Action Oriented Society
Passive aggressive protesters take no part

Plastic bags pollute the streets
But we don’t pick them up
We overgrow and over-fish
Still, its not enough
They gouge the prices, but we still buy
Then complain while we stand in line
I guess there’s nothing we can do
Our hands are tied

So let’s stick it to “The Man”
He is to blame
Forget the log that fogs our view
Innocence proclaim
Overlook ourselves and deride
Those we think aren’t on our side
But, we’re pardoned, so, we will just let our part slide

Let’s be an Action Oriented Society
Dissidents for change to impart
Action Oriented Society
Passive aggressive protesters take no part
“Action-Oriented Society” © 2010 Dayna Lynn (“The Call”)

For any of you who have an interest in astrology, the astrological configurations of this decade strongly mirror those that occurred during the 1930’s and 1960’s. (See above mention of me being a spiritual maverick.) Both decades were fantastic turning points in the world and America: war, dynamic social and cultural shifts, jarring economic upheaval and resolute scientific advancement. Watch what happens!

Posted in soapbox | No Comments »

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunday, February 28, 2010 9:25pm

succumbing to the pressure of AVATAR

i finally did it. i went to see avatar…in 3D, might i add. for awhile, i enjoyed living outside the bubble of pop culture. alas, i was convinced to join the ranks and i’m glad that i did. Avatar is good. it is very good; but, for reasons other than what you may be thinking.

“the revolution must begin!”, “oh big business!”, “oh the environment!”, “oh war!”, “what a tragedy!” these are all the cries and pleas of Avatar viewers as they leave the theatres and rant on blogs and with their friends; all fellow “revolutionaries” in training, or at least in theory. the spiritual implications of this movie were far more exciting and enlightening than any of the military bashing, pro-environment plugs, or ‘big business is evil’ messages.

A women, and her spiritual prowess, was the most prized and honored person of the Na’vi. She represented connection to the divine. Her example lead everyone to know that spirit is to be respected, acknowledged and embraced. When Neytiri introduced Jake Sully to The People, she said this is my father, but THIS is my mother (Mo’at which is very similar to Ma’at. hmmm…). Their most sacred places were spiritual power points where the wisdom of the ancestors was downloaded like the latest ke$ha single. the Na’vi’s respect for “the balance of life” moved me beyond words.

shouting “revolution!” and working within the confines of a fundamentally flawed system is one way to change the world and a necessary rung on the ladder of awareness, growth and enlightenment. however, total transformation of our minds and world is my chosen route. it starts with self-transformation. and that is definitely the most trying yet benefic journey ever to be taken.

but somehow the spirituality that moved me so in Avatar has to be translated into solid action on the material plane. i don’t know what that looks like on a massive scale, but i know for me it begins with living wholly in my passion and being the vehicle for love and healing i know that i am called and desire to be.

did you see avatar? what are your thoughts?

Posted in i like this!, soapbox | 2 Comments »

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Thursday, February 4, 2010 4:14pm

winter is for the birds. (well, kind of)

its february. this is the time when the true meaning of winter hits home. the snow is pretty and the blankets are cozy, but my head is cold and cabin fever is driving me crazy! the dry air has my sinuses in a funk and my cat wishes he could get some fresh air. he’s frail these days and his bones can’t stand the cold.

next year this time, i will not be in chicago. i need moisture in the air, and not the fake kind that comes from snow. i prefer good, old fashioned humidity and 80+ degrees. SUNNY!

until then, i’ll be abit crotchety and abrasive. and i’ll blame it all on the cold.

2010.

my first post of the year.

well, its only fitting that i write my first blog of 2010 under the influence of the solar eclipse and mercury ending its 3 week fudging with communication, electronics and movement of all kinds. i blame mercury retrograde for my canceled recording sessions. i blame mercury retrograde for misunderstandings in communication. i blame mercury retrograde for all phone calls i received that i didn’t want and all the phone calls i did receive that i didn’t want. mercury finally stopped moving “backwards”. YAY!

in other news…last nite i had a beautiful recording session. we found the magic combo of settings for the microphone and tube amp, couple with my distance from the microphone. i pray that this energy is even more there at the next session next wednesday. and i hope we finish recording the vocals by the end of next week!

in more boring news…my cats have begun yelling at each other through my bedroom door. the catch is that rocky (the cat inside the bedroom) is just 2 years old. leo (the cat who has free reign of the house for soon to be obvious reasons) is 22 years old. rocky claws at deaf and hard of seeing leo. and leo hollers loudly as you would expect a deaf mute cat to sound. we may be taking leo to the vet tomorrow to put him down. he’s very frail and emaciated, loses his balances easily and has screaming fits randomly throughout the day. we don’t know what’s wrong with him. my internet research says maybe thyroid difficulties… he is definitely very uncomfortable. he’s just a sack of bones.

anyway. i promise the next post will be waaay more interesting. stay tuned lol

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Monday, December 21, 2009 1:08am