It was two years ago when I found myself at a Pre-Durban July Fashion Show. I knew nothing (and still don’t) about fashion nor did I arrive early enough to see the fashion show but I got there just in time to see Jeremy Loops perform live. A friend had offered me a VIP ticket and I had to take it because I had to see Jeremy Loops. Unfortunately when I finally got to meet the guy I got so excited and starstruck all at the same time that the only thing I said to him is that I love his music… In reality, this was perhaps the one chance I had to exchange a few words of wisdom with him… Nonetheless, meeting him was good… It’s an experience I wouldn’t take away.
“Life is an interesting journey
You never know where it will take you
Peaks and valleys, twists and turns
You could get the surprise of your life
Sometimes on the way to where you’re going you might think this is the worst time of my life
But you know what? At the end of the road
Through all the adversity
If you could get to where you wanted to be, you remember;
What don’t kill you makes you stronger
And all the adversity was worth it…”
-T.I in Live Your Life
I keep saying it and I wont stop saying it, South Africa is home to some of the greatest musicians in the world. On this post I’ll focus on one of the younger greats to come from our country, Jeremy Loops. If you’ve been following his career you’d know that though the genius, the talent and passion were always there, his career has had exponential growth over the last few years, topping charts, winning awards, he’s been doing it and through it all he still comes across as the Earth loving, “greening” inclined young man at his 2010 conservation celebration party. As stardom comes with a significant amount of work and stress, Jeremy still manages to give fans unclouded, twenty-four carat energy not only through the music but through interaction.
“If you have a closet full of clothes and you try to keep them all, your life will get very small. But if you have a full closet and someone sees something they like, if you give it to them, the world is a better place.”- Nina Hagen to Kiedis (She realized how young and inexperienced I was then, so she was always passing on gems to me, not in a preachy way, just by seizing on opportunity -Anthony Kiedis)
Often dismissed for it’s sexual overtone, “Give It Away” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is actually about altruistic behavior, our God-given selflessness, the spirit of giving, whether it’s something tangible or a teaching… Paying it forward. This is exactly what Jeremy Loops has done as I’m about to quote him below. We all yearn to be on journeys in which we arrive, a journey where we actually get to the destination but one can never be certain what or where the destination truly is and with family, friends and society telling us what works what doesn’t work, what’s cool, what isn’t… it gets hard to hear our deepest voice. Our gut.
“If you can be brave enough and bold enough to try what you really enjoy, I think success does follow. That’s not just a thing successful people say”- Jeremy Loops
Music Smells Like Noise 
October 22nd, 2015 at 12:09 pm
Definitely needed to hear this message today.
Very wise. 🙂
Faatima
LikeLike
October 22nd, 2015 at 2:14 pm
I’m glad you got to see it
Your feedback always puts a smile on my face Faatima, Thanks for reading
LikeLiked by 1 person
October 22nd, 2015 at 12:16 pm
I love Jeremy Loops, his energy is amazing. I love that he vlogs a bit now too. The pay it forward philosophy is one I was fortunate enough to have been brought up with, always sieze a chance to do something good. I recall being a little girl at a busy station in London, before escalators, and my mum had struggled to the bottom of a huge flight of stairs carrying a heavy suitcase and holding on to me and when we were at the bottom I remember her looking relieved to have made it without us all cascading to the bottom. Then as we started to move away from the stairs she looked up and glanced a lady in sari, with a big suitcase and a little girl trying to make it safely down the stairs and she put the handle of our suitcase in my hand as she moved me and it safely to the edge of the stair case and told me to stay there a minute and she climbed back up the stair case, took the lady’s suitcase, signing to her that she was helping (language barriers could have made the lady feel she was being robbed) and she hauled that one to the bottom too. I remember at the bottom again mum looked strained and I said “Mummy why did you go back to help that lady nobody helped us” and she said “Because I’m not nobody”.
LikeLike
October 22nd, 2015 at 2:43 pm
Wow, reading this definitely left a big smile on my face, It’s quite obvious you have an amazing mother who has a lot to pass down (haha!) or teach… I’m sure what happened that day and what she did for the stranger inspired your altruistic behaviour better than any book or quote ever could… I’m still smiling here 🙂
LikeLike
October 23rd, 2015 at 11:11 am
Thanks, she is pretty awesome. Definitely it’s example that embeds these values, I guess as kids we often miss the good deeds our parents do, we’re blissfully unaware of what goes on around us, cocooned in our little secure, cared for bubble. It’s perhaps only when we are made to watch that we recall … like this instance, mum wasn’t forcing me to watch her do something good but because of the situation I watched her because I didn’t want to lose sight of her. I’ve also seen how much she gives and how she hurts when it is taken advantage of and that has shown me that sometimes our giving is a more than an act of altruism but a kind of sacrifice, when doing something good makes us hurt because of the actions of others. Continuing to give after those mini sacrifices is perhaps the greatest lesson I have learned because it also teaches true forgiveness. Whilst I don’t let people take advantage of me as an adult and I am quite choosy regarding who I spend my time and energies on and with I don’t bear a grudge and in my heart forgive anyone who wrongs me, I don’t take it personally and I think that’s one of the reasons that I’m just so ridiculously intrinsically happy all of the time. My mum also taught us that as long as we are happy in our hearts, if we are happy with ourselves then life is good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
October 25th, 2015 at 2:33 pm
This is a case of the internet sabotaging me once again… I replied a day or so ago, but I guess it didn’t process the reply.
I always say it takes true character for one not to allow the world to change them; for them not to rob the next person of their kind selflessness because someone else had taken advantage of it. I’m so glad you don’t hold grudges Neffy… I feel that others don’t get out of bed to wrong us but they are on their own journey of growth. The sooner we accept this, the easier it is for us not to take things personally. Happiness doesn’t choose us, it is us who choose it… thanks again for sharing such wisdom 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
October 25th, 2015 at 5:17 pm
Thank you. I guess by removing bad influences from our lives we are giving ourselves closure which is better than bearing a silent grudge. I think we all learn and grow and sometimes we have to remind ourselves that the world is give and take and so we can’t always class ourselves as the learner, sometimes we are supposed to be the teacher.
LikeLike
October 25th, 2015 at 5:26 pm
It’s sad that when someone has to learn their lesson through us or us as “teachers” can sometimes find ourselves in a space where our feelings are compromised for another’s benefit… but you’ve said it all Neffy , and I couldn’t agree more!
LikeLiked by 1 person
October 25th, 2015 at 7:26 pm
I just think it’s human nature, we have to test out and push boundaries and observe to learn some things, that’s why I think example when parenting is hugely important. Sometimes in adult relationships we just don’t meet someone who had exampled the same things we did and if neither of us can learn or adapt or choose for ourselves to lean a little and be more forgiving or more considerate or less selfish then we could be fighting a losing battle. I’m hoping that I meet someone who has done a lot of their learning to be selfless forgiving and patient in a relationship by the time I want to get married. Not doing too well so far haha so glad I have years to go and thousands more people to meet.
LikeLike
October 25th, 2015 at 7:58 pm
A THOUSAND!? I’m exhausted just thinking about that number haha! well, yes, there’s never a reason to rush such things. I’m no expert but I find that those we seem to have the most in common with at first seldom share the same core values as us in the long run… unfortunately that gut feeling doesn’t always serve us well… we get back up, we observe and allow time to tell us more about those around us
LikeLike
October 25th, 2015 at 10:34 pm
I’m grateful for my natural reserve and logic overwhelming emotion in these matters, my mum says when it comes it will hit me like a firebolt and logic will not even figure. We’ll see haha. Maybe my check list and score out of 10 for first impressions on the first date dampens the emotion a little haha.
LikeLike
October 27th, 2015 at 6:40 pm
Just don’t expect an easy ride Neffy… I know you’ll do good, just try to have fun while you at it 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person