Take Care the Body.

    Today, I had my final lecture for my Asian American Studies class. Such an incredible course; it really fed my love for critical analysis, the books we read were usually extremely interesting, especially the last two (which I will go more into later, during Spring Break.) Not to mention that in my discussion section, we analyzed modern pop culture like Korean hip hop (during which we were shown the "Are We There Yet?" by Dumfoundead music video, which I mentioned in February's Music of the Month post. Ugh, so good.) and the Harlem Shake. How one definition of the Harlem Shake can mask an original meaning. Amazing, amazing! I'll probably go more into depth as to why I loved this class during Spring Break, but for now, I want to leave a quote here.

"Take care the body. See you after the War." 

     This is the final line of the final book we read in class, "All I asking for is my body" by Milton Murayama. For whatever reason, this line really resonated with me. Maybe you have to read the entire novel to understand, but it's just a really powerful statement for me. Something about it just stuck in my chest. It's like telling someone, "Take care of yourself, and I'll see you once the hard times are over." There is something so strong and so inspiring about it. I repeated this phrase to myself the entire walk back to my dorm. It's especially impactful when you've seen the theme of the human body carried throughout the book, how it is abused by plantation work, how boxing can be a source of freedom, how the body is sexualized as you grow, how it must be subjected to the potential horrors of war in exchange for citizenship. I just loved the way this story, with its larger themes, was told through the metaphor of the body. It's not just the physical body to be taken care of, but the human soul. I am absolutely moved by it. 

     This is probably not making any sense outside of my own head, but I just wanted to share this line with the world before I go about my everyday. I think I'll make a sign out of this and post it in my dorm room, to look at as I exit for the day. A reminder to take care of myself and my body, and whatever happens out there, I'll be back in my safe space soon. Obviously none of my hardships have ever been even close to Kiyoshi's, but after seeing the world through his eyes for one hundred pages, I understand it's meaning, and knowing how significant that line is to him and his family causes me to feel so many things. I can't explain it. 

     Anyway, I need to get back to studying. See you guys soon!