Why 'Persian Coercion'? I'll tell you.

Hey! How are you? Thanks for dropping by today! For you, my door is always open ;-)

I bet you're wondering why I chose this name for my blog URL. Maybe you're not; maybe you're totally uninterested in titles and simply care about what I have to say. Either way, I figure an explanation is in order.

I'm Persian, and that's how I introduce myself everytime someone asks me where I'm "from" even though I speak perfect English, have zero accent, and was born in America. But they can't help it. I look...different. I have dark hair, dark, eyes, olive skin, and a 'woman's figure'. When I say, "I'm Persian", I almost always get the same quizzical look. They aren't completely crazy: technically, there is no Persia anymore. For those of you that haven't opened a history book, the area formally known as the 'Persian Empire' has now been reduced to a much smaller version called 'Iran'. There are some of us Iranians that still refer to ourselves as Persian; we all have our own different and certainly unique reasons for that, but for me, I can't relate the origin of my cultural identity to the present state of the country of Iran. It is undoubtedly the home of my relatives and loved ones, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for that. For the sake of sparing myself unnecessary controversy, I'll keep this part of my explanation short. I haven't even said that much already, but this is such a sensitive topic for some Persians/Iranians that I really don't want to say ANYTHING that will offend anybody. NOTE: the purpose of this particular blog posting is NOT to discuss the political situation in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world, for that matter. I am merely trying to explain two things: why I personally use the term 'Persian' and why in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks I have www.persiancoercion.blogspot.com as my URL.

A brief history review from my personal favorite, Wikipedia:

The Achaemenid Empire or Persian Empire (550–330 BC) was the successor state of the Median Empire, ruling over significant portions of what would become Greater Iran. The Persian and the Median Empire taken together are also known as the Medo-Persian Empire, succeeding the Neo-Assyrian Empire.

At the height of its power, it encompassed approximately between 7.5 and 7.7 million square kilometers^[1][2]

The empire was forged by Cyrus the Great, and spanned three continents, including territories of Afghanistan and Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and all significant population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. It is noted in western history as the foe of the Greek city states in the Greco-Persian Wars, for freeing the Jews from their Babylonian captivity, and for instituting Aramaic as the empire's official language. It was invaded and conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BC.

In universal history the role of the Persian empire founded by Cyrus the Great lies in their very successful model for centralized administration and a government working to the advantage and profit of all.^[3]

^{Again, this paragraph above is sure to bring on a whole slew of comments ranging anywhere from a simple 'nod' to a deliberate and well-devised attack on me and my thoughts. Oh well. It just can't be prevented, I guess. It's either that or completely keep my mouth shut - the latter is nearly impossible.}

^ANYWAY.

^{The Persian Empire was known for its artistic, musical, poetic, and even military contributions amongst many others as well. It was founded on beautiful and spiritual morals and principles; it certainly made its mark in history and can hold its own in any debate regarding the subject of past global contributions. Iran, on the other hand, is an enigma to me. I don't know anything about it; I have never been there, and anything that I see or hear in the news about it is so war-focused that I'd rather not allow the media to distort the image in my mind. I have seen breath-taking pictures of the countryside, the cities of Tehran and Persepolis, the surprisingly fashion-forward young women hell-bent on cleverly rebelling against the fundamental laws; and still, I just can't relate. There seems to be a specific 'soul' quality missing for me. I just don't hear the poetry of Rumi or Shams-E Tabriz, the spiritual love songs of the ancient lands, the roaring glory and pride of the King's men. In its absence is something else - but rest assured, definitely something of value. But it isn't something that I understand, have learned about in the classroom, or experienced first-hand. It's a wave of something completely new, a tsunami (pun intended) of change. Despite all this, and because I am the relentless and hopeless romantic that I am, I insist on saying that I'm Persian.}

^{Coerce: to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral, or intellectual means.}

^{Hopefully, that begins to explain the 'Persian Coercion' part. In short, I care about you Persian people. I may have been born here in America, but the blood that runs so passionately and intensely through my veins and is pumped by my heart, is undeniably from another land, a distant and far-off place now only relived from the perspective of someone else, books, movies, and other indirect means. Therefor, I have a responsibility: to coerce you - lovingly and gently, of course - into thinking that you are here where you are now FOR A REASON. We are an ancient people, with a rightful place in history - one to be truly proud of. Let us remember to focus on who we are and where we really come from:} 

 The Self We Share 

Thirst is angry with water. Hunger bitter with bread.The cave wants nothing to do with the sun. This is dumb, the self- defeating way we've been.

A gold mine is calling us into its temple. Instead, we bend and keep picking up rocks from the ground. Every thing has a shine like gold, but we should turn to the source! 

The origin is what we truly are. I add a little vinegar to the honey I give. The bite of scolding makes ecstasy more familiar. But look, fish, you're already in the ocean: just swimming there makes you friends with glory. What are these grudges about? 

You are Benjamin. Joseph has put a gold cup in your grain sack and accused you of being a thief. Now he draws you aside and says, "You are my brother. I am a prayer. You're the amen." 

We move in eternal regions, yet worry about property here. This is the prayer of each: You are the source of my life. You separate essence from mud. You honor my soul. You bring rivers from the

mountain springs. You brighten my eyes. The wine you offer takes me out of myself into

the self we share. Doing that is religion.

-Above is a poem written by Rumi, a Persian poet who lived in the 13th century. This particular work was translated by Coleman Barks.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Running. Running. Panting. Keep running. Losing...pace...breathing harder...now...keep running...

With all the different ways to promote one's self these days (whether you're a musician, a writer, a chef, or just trying to meet new people and express yourself), it gets harder and harder to really feel like you're on top of it all. The title of this blog came from the feeling I've been having lately that I've been training for a marathon for years, I'm running in the race, and for some reason - regardless of the countless hours of training and 'mock marathons' - everything is flying right past me instead of the other way around.

To be more specific, and to fill you in on what I've been doing that's led me to writing this particular blog posting, I have been trying to promote my music by linking all of my websites together: myspace, facebook, twitter, my blog (www.persiancoercion.blogspot.com) and my own personal website www.indYgYrl.com. There are so many websites, resources, and options these days that one may feel trapped in terms of knowing what to do, where to start, and HOW to do all the things you want and need to do to get you from point A to point B. I come from a strict musical background, like, I learned the methods that my teacher learned, her teacher learned, and so on and so forth. I mean, I am so prehistoric that when everyone in college was using cool and efficient programs like Finale to put their musical ideas out on print, I was staying up all night losing sleep writing every part out by hand. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely some merit in having that skill. But sometimes admirable skills aren't always...useful. And in today's world, "you snooze, you lose".

I am a musician. That is my occupation. It's also my passion, so work doesn't always feel like work. Sure, there are responsibilities - but the joy that I feel every time I perform, write a song, or record is such a huge reward that I hardly notice all the effort that it requires. BUT, I am human. Every now and then, I get tired. I call my friends for support and advice, I talk to my mother for some good old-fashioned 'baby-ing', I go out on dates to feel attractive and take my mind off work, and I go to shows and concerts so that I can witness someone else do all the work for once (and, if I'm lucky, to feel better about myself, hehe). All of these things do help, but they are just temporary fixes for the real issues that most often go unnoticed and, ultimately, unaddressed: lack of self-love (emphasis here), denial, and avoidance. Now, the last two might sound a bit harsh but hear (i.e. 'read') me out:

We are indeed in a race. Yes, we are in a competition. However, we are NOT in a competition or race with time (because, well, I don't really believe that 'time' exists in the sense we most commonly refer to), with the world, with each other. We are in competition with ourselves only. There's actually no deadlines, no world record to beat, no 'next big thing' to top (unless it came from you), and until you realize this, you are going to waste a lot of precious time and energy perfecting yourself for someone else. From this perspective, there will always be somone bigger, better, stronger, smarter - and suddenly you begin to lose perspective because your focus is placed on beating them instead of on bettering yourself. 

So, here's my solution for the recent exhaustion and overwhelming tasks that have been bestowed upon me (or, more appropriately, did I bestow them upon myself?):

"I am going to love myself, pat myself on the back, and reward myself for the progress that I make everyday. I am a fighter, I am getting stronger and stronger everyday because I have fallen at times. I welcome the challenges; maybe not at first, but I soon realize that it is the challenges and not the successes that show me who I really am and what I am really made of. I may not be the fastest runner, I may not hold any national titles. But I sure as hell am one tenacious, relentless, unfaltering force to be reckoned with. All other participants beware: there's no way in HELL I'm giving up any time soon."

Just remember: you are only in competition with yourself. If you feel that someone is competing with you, or if you feel pressured to live up to any expectations other than your own, thank them for pushing you and helping you to question yourself so that you know yourself better. And just keep running. Your loved ones are right behind you, rooting for you every step of the way.

May the force be with you.