The Healing Power of the Boss (Bruce Springsteen!)
On my flight back from Japan I watched the film, Blinded by the Light. The film was something I’d mentally bookmarked to watch but just hadn’t made time for it so I was happy it was an option!
It’s a British comedy-drama, coming-of-age film about a young Pakistani teen discovering the music of Bruce Springsteen - in a small town in the UK. I knew I’d love it even though it seemed not to fare well at the cinema but I didn’t know HOW much this would’ve affected me.
Any time I watch a coming-of-age British film, especially when it deals with racism, I see many parallels growing up British and growing up Canadian.
I’m mixed with Native American and Indian American (that labeling is for the American audience) and most of the insults I’d get would depend on who I was near or around. I had both kinds of dark friends in my circle so it could change depending on that. But oftentimes it would either be “Paki”, “Squaw” or just “Indian”.
Of course this wasn’t fun to deal with this but it was just a part of my life growing up. And because I had enough variations of brown people around me, it could be distributed pretty evenly to whoever was feeling the most offended by us. ; )
Anyway, this film was brilliant and it highlighted the importance of seeing the perspective from all angles. Different kinds of representation from all spheres of life - racism included. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t want people to deal with racism ever, it’s not fun and it’s actually a true trauma to have to work through later.
But the more representation I see and the more I know that I’m not alone or wasn’t alone growing up with these kind of circumstances, the better.
This film is a drama and the themes were well depicted as such but it was also a comedy so it shed a fun insight into that very dramatic way of life.
Fun memory: I also have this great memory of a teacher, in about 6th grade, who read us this sweet book called, “Dear Bruce Springsteen”. Which was about this young kid writing letters to Bruce sharing about his problems. We were read that book over a period of time and I really looked forward to it - both for the story and being read to. Who doesn’t love being read to?!
Clip image from the Blinded by the Light film.
Rebuilding where I once spent hours and years of my life. I’m happy for this space to have a renewal! Only mainly good memories for me! <3
Anyway, there was a heart-breaking scene in the Blinded by the Light film that reminded of something similar that happened to me and my family. The young character, Javed, comes across skinheads spray painting a wall that says, “Paki’s Out!” He was crushed.
And my brother reminded me of this incident on my last trip to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - about the time we had our house spray painted. The side of our house was the final house or the beginning house so it was well exposed to every person entering our neighborhood and school lawn. For context, my mother was very much into church and wanted everyone to be saved - I have more to say about that later - but some teenagers felt compelled to spray paint our house with, “Marlene Ministries”. We lived on Marlene Street, I had just become a teen - this did not feel good. I was crushed by this.
When the management company of our low-income housing sent out painters to paint over it, the one coat didn’t quite cover it and it was a huge wall. We lived for another 5 years with those words still poking through that light coat of paint as a gross reminder. But I don’t remember holding on so deeply to it that it scarred me. Grateful for that. But watching that scene in the film made me weep.
And actually on that last trip, my brother and I drove past our old house where I lived my entire life in and we saw that they were building new housing! I was impressed. A little bit of my heart sank but happy people could live in something fresh! I always did a drive by whenever in town. Always. And will still continue to do so.
I never really understood why people treated others so poorly based on the colour of their skin. I just couldn’t understand it and I still have a hard time with it. As I entered adulthood and then eventually entered college here in the states, I took a bunch of African-American Studies and Jewish Studies classes to stay to gain some insight into the parallels of our lives. To see the roots of racism and how one had historically dealt with it. It didn’t seem like it was going to go away so why not try to work in some level of understanding or buffering into the context of it. And it was very eye-opening for me. Reading Primo Levi and Phillis Wheatley’s work was not only insightful but very inspiring. Yet, I still struggle with racism.
I will say that the essence of how to deal with racism or any kind of hardship is to tap into creativity - it’s just one way or example of how to deal. I love that. And I see that is exactly what many people of colour have done and continue to do.
I do feel comforted when I read, see and feel the work of people who’ve dealt with something similar with what I’ve dealt with in the world. It reminds me that I’m not alone.
And what fun to listen to Bruce Springsteen while at it! Brilliant! He is a true hero of the world!
Thank you for letting me share this this with you.