Hoopthink? A Late Weighing In on K. vs K.

Back in mid-December, Kahunahula posted a thought-and-then-dialogue provoking rant on the HooppaiN site–essentially bemoaning the growing homogeneity in hooping, and basically placing blame for the lack of creativity on hooping’s gurus. Khan responded by vindicating the guru slash teachers and shifting the blame to the shoulders of students–the many who lack the curiosity or drive to develop their own style, moves/tricks, or other innovations.

Khan

Kahunahula

I was just about to skip town when I read it, and made a mental note to respond upon my return. Life edged in, and I forgot all about it.

Until today…for as I was researching consumerism for my latest book project, I was reminded of the great Kahunahula vs Khan debate and my original reaction. Which is: we Nordamerikanos in particular, and we capitalism-participants in general, are highly incentivized not to be original. In work settings, the majority of people are discouraged from original actions, if not original thought. Non-work for most people consists of ingesting various iterations of the same message– the one about how one needs to live and what one needs to buy so that one finally feels contentment. And fits in.

So I’d excuse both the teachers (and, yes, in the interest of full disclosure, I did just collaborate on a book project with one of the unnamed but surely-intended gurus, HoopGirl herself) AND the students, and point instead to a systemic problem. (Granted, maybe I’m removing individual blame because I’m having a hard time finding/reclaiming my hooping style after feeling it meld into the HoopThink.)

But without question we find ourselves today with the sad state of affairs that humanity’s dominant central organizing system(s) primes and then rewards us –even us “alternative” groups like peace protestors or Burners–for becoming a consumer target group. And for sacrificing original thoughts and actions.

The happy thing is that people made this system, and that means people can unmake it. We just have to take the little red pill to be able to see clearly, and to be and think and hoop with originality. Either that, or wait for the system to collapse, which seems to be beginning to happen. As my friend Annie Leonard says, would you rather be at the wheel of the truck, or would you rather be mowed down by it. Because the changes are coming either way.

Personally, HoopGoddess would advocate for the red pill,right *now*, to get cracking on a new structure that values and has reverence for all life and for creativity. Amen.

Audacity is what we need

Kahunahula and I performed and instructed at this evening’s Obama Hoop Alliance fundraiser on the Embarcadero in SF. It’s been a while since he and I even hooped together, let alone performed together, but it seems we’ve still got the connection when we want to turn it on. I hope it was as much fun to watch as it was to do, particularly when we were hoopinteracting with one another. Sweet.

The OHA raised a couple thousand with tonight’s hoopy gathering for the good candidate. Full disclosure: I am one-quarter of the OHA, alongside my friends, the delightfully politically engaged Deborah, Christopher and Martin—hoopers all.

A few local hoopers showed—Mikita (thanks for procuring the emergency back-up “sound system”—I’ll love you forever), Susan…All in all, there must have been between 30-40 folks who came out.

And before the sun went down, everyone who Already Could got everyone who showed up not knowing If They Would to waist-hoop–and more. It was a beautiful thing, a couple dozen folks experiencing their first (or first adult) taste of hoop bliss, with their Obama buttons refracting the late day sun. The folks who gave $100 or more got to take a shiny hoop home—donated by Christopher.

More Obamahoops (by HoopGirl) are available and you can still donate—and then let us know how we can get your hoop to you by emailing and notifying us of your gift.

On the BART back home, our hoops and my face glitter attracted attention from an enthusiastic young man, who asked if I was an angel. Upon hearing we’d performed for an Obama fundraiser (appreciative laughter rumbling from every seat within earshot as I pronounced the event’s title… “The Audacity of Hoop”), the dude said he’d write Obama and tell him what a good thing we’d done. Indeed, it felt that way.