By Lisa Jey Davis

Today's
Thought for the Day
from DailyOm:

Friends of
Extended Circles:

THE UPPER CRUST

I was driving home the other day, and I heard a song on the radio that took me back a few years. It was a song by the group Outkast, entitled "Hey Ya." I was transported to a New Years Eve party in Los Angeles, back in 2002 or '03.  Outkast was performing this song on one of the New Years Eve specials that aired that night on television.  At that time in my life, I was a Marketing and PR Consultant to a cosmetic surgeon in Beverly Hills who also happened to be a good friend of mine. We were both single then and, in our determination not to spend the holiday alone, we agreed to go to his sister's party together (she was a district attorney in the hard-core gangs unit in Los Angeles). We truly were just friends, so I saw this as a fantastic opportunity to step outside of my usual circle and meet some new and interesting people.

As the song played on the radio, I couldn't help but reminisce a little. 'That evening had been fun,' I thought as I smiled, remembering the details.  My friend's sister danced to this very song in front of her television, while the band performed it from New York.  She and her fiance were adorable, as she swung her hips and they tried to do the twist - so happy and carefree.  I can't even begin to elaborate on the social metaphors that were being shattered in this one instance.  Not only would some think it ludicrous to derive any sort of evidence to support this essay on the Upper Crust of society from Outkast or any one of their songs (being a musical group who by all accounts has tried very hard to squelch or stave off any and all references to their undeniable cuteness, or teeny-bopper appeal, and command respect, appearing edgy or at the very least, intelligent, sexual and contemporary in the hip-hop world) but the very fact that this cute little upper-class, white-bread couple became giddy on hearing the song, and ran to the front of the room to swing to it is priceless, to say the least.  It proves that social mores are suspect, at minimum.  Dammit, white people can enjoy hip-hop just like the next guy, whether he or she be a "brother" or a "sister."  Suffice it to say that were this same scenario played out in the hood, these cute white folks would be lucky to get out alive.  It's just not okay, in the minds of many purveyors of all that is the "hood" for white people with money to enjoy this music.  They just can't understand the plight of the black man, or the underprivileged.  Not that the lyrics "Uh, thank god for mom and dad for sticking through together 'cause we don't know hooowww... UH!" conjure up any sort of "power to the underprivileged," but they are performed by two guys who came from nothing, so to speak, and now have a voice, albeit a fun, feel-good sort of voice. But I digress.

The party consisted mostly of attorneys - coworkers of the host and hostess - and most were there with dates or as very well-established couples. Despite my obvious unattached state, I was able to meander comfortably, striking up conversation where it appealed to me. There were some interesting people at the party.  That's when I met Devin (I've changed his name to spare him the embarrassment).  A very attractive man, also a coworker of the hostess.      MORE...

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Extended Circles is a website facilitating personal growth for the mind, body and spirit. It is a book in development by Lisa Jey Davis about different paths that open up to us when we extend or expand our circle of friends, haunts and routines... It is also a daily practice - to take chances, go beyond our self-imposed borders and boundaries and reach out into the sometimes scary, sometimes thrilling unknown, and see what the world has to offer beyond ourselves.

It started very simply, really, with the realization of how one different choice - one simple gesture - can change the course of our lives, and either hinder our success, or make it possible.  How the choices we make in life reflect the key people we know in our lives. The fact is, we humans settle into familiar patterns - we frequent the same places, and run in a few different,  select (though somewhat inter-connected) circles. 

If we are willing and have the desire to continually grow, we can see how narrow our scope truly is, and open our eyes to that great big world out there.  If our first impulse, once we discover how truly isolated we are, is usually to gnore it.  Pretend it doesn't really exist.  We're continental humans, in the end, aren't we?   Maybe.  But if we realize just how small we are in the shape of the universe, we'll grow beyond ourselves, enrich our lives and the lives of others, and extend our own circles to unfathomable places.

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