Tonight I banged rocks together.

Tonight I banged rocks together and I loved it. It was one of the most exhilarating, community centric, animalistic things I have ever done. I'm being serious.

Why?

Because I banged those rocks, three to be precise, in a drum jam around a fire in the middle of the desert at midnight. Look at that, originally I wrote "...at a drum jam", and realized that I wasn't just AT the drum jam, I was not just watching. I was participating. I was IN the drum jam, part of the activities. I hiked through cactus, pulled flying balls of thorns out of my shoes, and then I let myself be consumed by the experience all those people were sharing. I hit my rocks, carried my rhythm, blended in with all those other rhythms. I didn't have to play my own melody, carry all the weight. I messed up, I heard it, even if no one else could hear my rocks clack, I heard my rhythm in the stream of those other drums and I heard its mistakes and I was fine with them.

I even joked about hitting my rocks together with some of the drummers. I hit my rocks rather than take the spare drum offered. I did something, and I was so proud and content with what I was doing that I could talk about it and keep doing it even though someone wanted me to do something else.

I will forever remember my rocks. The first instrument I ever mastered. When I started my musical theory training with the very basics. Clack clackity clack clack.

So tonight, lift up your tankards to the stone. Where it all began.

Uggg!