Friday, July 03, 2009

The Uppity Blues Women - Hungry Woman's Blues

Chorus:

I'm a hungry woman
Feed me like I want to be fed
You can feed my body
But you really got to feed my head

Verse:

I'm hungry like a dog
And like a New York city rat
A school of piranas
Or a venus fly trap
Takes a lot to satisfy me
I'll eat your whole menu
But don't you dare forget
You gotta feed my head too

Chorus

I'm a hungry woman
Feed me like I want to be fed
You can feed my body
But you really got to feed my head

Verse

Feed me chocolate buns
Feed me goose pate
Feed me nuts and honey
And your seafood buffet
Feed me fresh ambrosia
With a whipped cream spread
Make me smack my lips
But don't forget my head

Chorus

Not just flavor in my food
I want some flavor in my life
Your tears for my garlic
Your sugar for my spice
Simmer, bake and boil it
Feed me for my health
Don't want a fast food cook
I need a gourmet chef

These lyrics come from Gaye Todd Adegbalola of "Saffire: The Uppity Blues Women" and a song called "A Hungry Woman's Blues". As I drove home from my writing critique group/class last-night I heard them sing on the blues show . The DJ was doing an hour of all "food songs". You know I loved the theme.

In this song I like the play between mental nourishment and physical satiation. It's one of the things I notice lacking in my relationship with my coworkers. Although there are some bright people there - they're really not - "thinkers". We have a "ranter" or two, but I discount most of what they say because they're only repeating the talking TV heads.

Maybe it's not that my coworkers aren't thinkers - maybe it's more they're not "examiners". We never have conversations (nor would they be interested in conversations) about what drives people or events. What propels human actions. Nor do we have too many philisophical discussions about our industry. In truth, I know they don't love it like I do. It sounds kind of weird - but I'm pretty passionate about the cotton industry. About our history and our future. I love knowing WHY our industry it works the way it does.

For me, it starts with understanding why someone chooses to plant cotton - the source of their operational finances (what type of lender and scope of financing), the methods used to grow the crop (conventional or experimental) - how it's harvested - what equipment they use (ohhh! there's new technology in the harvesting equipment this year!), to processing the cotton, storing it, and selling it. Plus I'm fascinated by the legislation that surrounds our industry. What are the government rules and regulations? Why were they established - what's the goal? Finally, I spend a lot of time trying to understand how the data we collect can assist the farmer and the ginner. Can it make them better business people? Help them make better decisions?

And I've got to be honest. It's not just my coworkers who aren't interested in these ruminations. I work with lots of customers who just see data gathering and analysis as "more stuff to do". Stuff their clients don't really want to know. Some days I just want to go around shaking people, "How can you NOT care?" But they think I'm crazy enough as it is so I try and keep these thoughts to myself. Perhaps that's why I like this writing process. It allows me to dig into all these areas in any story I'm working on and make those links and connections.

Now I'm off to my private "Writer's Retreat Day". No internet surfing, no eMailing, or blog commenting. Today is a day of writing work. I started at 8 this morning - and I'll go to lunch - just as if I were at work. After lunch I'll pick back up 'till late this afternoon. I've got work to do and I'm not going to squander my time today.

Yep, I'm a hungry woman. Feed me how I want to be fed. You can feed my body, but you really got to feed my head.

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