The Liquid Kosmos

Capitalism

Whenever I get gas I expect to meet at least one panhandler. Today, I pulled up to the pump
and saw him standing next to the ice machine at the corner of the store. I thought, hey,
there's the new friend I will meet in a few minutes.

Using pay at the pump I focused on the task at hand. Staying in the now with techniques
I've been hearing about on Oprah. Clutching the handle, I poured the fuel into my tank.
Staring nowhere in particular I listened to the bass driven pulse blasting from a brown
PT Cruiser. It was loud and I found the groove infectious. Eventually the car pulled by and the driver nodded his head.

For some reason my mind left the now and went back a few years to the night a young rapper came up to me
and asked if I wanted to buy his cd. He was street peddling and I found it admirable. I have always
felt that panhandlers should at least sell something. A poem, a sketch, a rock sculpture, anything... begging
is so 90's. Anyway, I gladly forked over the five dollars to this aspiring rapper and diligently tried to
get into his music, but it wasn't that good.

So, as I'm daydreaming about why more musicians don't sell directly to the customer on the street
I hear that pulsing bass pull up behind me. Next I hear, "Hey man, you ever listen to hip hop?"
I turn around and the driver is holding up a CD.

"Uh, sometimes...."

"This is my new cd. I'm up here from Atlanta spreadin' the word about my music."

He had me! I looked at the cover and sure enough it was him, "Sixman."

The name of the record is "American Muscle: A Hustler's Story"

Me: You ARE a hustler.

Sixman: Hey man, a brotha's gotta do what it takes.

Me: No doubt, how's it goin for u?

Sixman: Aww man, it is perfect.

(I hand him five bucks)

Me: Straight. Word.

Sixman: Thanks, man. Lata.

I'm thinking to myself as I'm crank the first song -- and hear nothing but gun shots and racial slurs -- that I have
made a fine purchase. I'm proud of my new friend, Sixman, and get the feeling he just might make it some
day.

He made a personal connection with me and I cannot wait until the first time someone gets in my
car and asks what we're listening to. "Oh, this? That's my buddy, Sixman."

posted by The Oscillator @ 2:36 PM