Tuesday, September 30, 2008

TODAY is a good day to thank the beautiful people in my life--it's my birthday!

275 Reasons to Celebrate

1. Margie Gomez
2. Aristeo Gomez (QEPD)
3. Miranda Gomez
4. Ted Gomez
5. Breanna Herrera
6. Cecilia Epstein
7. Michelle Krupkin
8. Denise Douce
9. Debbie Reighn
10. David Kendall
11. Kendra Bochner
12. Liz Belile
13. Lorna Dee Cervantes
14. Patrisia Gonzalez
15. Roberto Rodriguez
16. Richard Loranger
17. Cecilia Gonzalez
18. Donna Hoffman
19. Ginger Webb (John too!)
20. Elaine Wolff
21. Ari Chagoya
22. Chandra Washington
23. Ernest Garcia
24. Sheelah Murthy
25. Patricia Greene
26. Rose Imperato
27. Nicholas Schriber
28. Rene Renteria
29. Raul R. Salinas
30. Radames Ortiz
31. Ray Santisteban
32. Tonantzin Canestaro-Garcia
33. Teresa Taylor
34. Diana Garcia
35. Allyson Lipkin
36. Irma Andrade
37. Andrea “Gaia” Melendez
38. Lydia Armendariz
39 Enrique Cabrera
40. Cesar Hernandez (Dulce too!)
41. BC Harrison
42. Jennifer Cardenas
43. Tamara Ford (Stan too!)
44. Frieda Werden
45. Julia Apodaca (Dani too!)
46. Lourdes Perez
47. Annette D’armata
48. Amanda Plaisance
49. Emily Kenyon
50. Brackin Firecracker
51. Aida Salazar (John too!)
52. Claudia Martinez
53. Maria Elena Fernandez
54. Diana Delgado
55. Cheri Popoff
56. Rod Lindsey
57. Mark Gee
58. Dave Haller
59. Danny Solis
60. Robert Karimi
61. Lisa Gill
62. Sarah West
63. Darryl Cropper
64. Astrid Zometa
65. Leticia Llinares Hernandez
66. Richard Ray Whitman
67. Kathianne Osborne
68. Tony Gilchriest
69. Mitch Rayes
70. Kenn Rodriguez
71. Mary Mier (Ron too!)
72. Eugene Jaceldo (and the other bros. Jaceldo)
73. Mariposa
74. SXIP
75. Andrew Baron
76. Sheila Contreras
77. Kamala Platt
78. Zeek Kruzich
79. Jordan Green
80. Teresa Marrero
81. Carol Pankratz
82. Kim DeLozier
83. Crystal Dozier
84. Greg Johnson
85. Rose Ann Meredith
86. Shani Abell
87. Jason Eklund
88. Kathy & Dani O’Brien
89. Kat Thornton (Ken too!)
90. Lisa Feather Wheeler
91. Violet Ramirez & family
92. Raul Avila
93. Clebo Rainey (Naomi too!)
94. Ricardo Garza
95. Gerald Youngblood
96. Da’Shade Moonbeam
97. Zell Miller
98. Rich Perin
99. Vicki Grise
100. Ana Sisnett
101. Bronmin Shumway (Kirk too!)
102. Chris & Tamitha Curiel
103. Karen X
104. Kelsie Torres Pelham (Derek too!)
105. Mitch Torres Parker (Bysshe too!)
106. Gabriela Lomonaco
107. Claudia Acosta
108. Natasha Carrizosa
109. Wendy Vestal
110. Devin Adams (QEPD)
111. Linda Curcio
112. ir’ene lara silva
113. Moises Silva
114. Diana Puma
115. Linus Strekfus
116. Andrea Griemel
117. Eduardo Garza
118. Irma Mayorga
119. Sandra Cisneros
120. Lisa Suarez
121. Rosie Gonzalez
122. Robert Tatum
123. Amalia Ortiz
124. Amelia Montes
125. Marisela Barrera
126. Laura Varela
127. Jane Madrigal
128. Rene Valdez
129. Jackie Cuevas (Jen too!)
130. Tony Diaz
131. Maria Limon
132. Anel Flores
133. Vicente Lozano
134. Anthony Flores
135. Anthony Douglas
136. AJ Houston
137. Gracey Tune
138. Will Richey
139. Zack Prince
140. Melissa Kane
141. Ruben Salazar
142. Jose Vargas
143. Ronald Shannon Jackson
144. Rajendra Narendra
145. Geetha Patil
146. Andrea Gonzalez
147. Bryce Milligan
148. Tim Cloward
149. Jennifer Hill
150. Lori Thomson
151. Junanne Peck
152. Kendall McCook (Ginny too!)
153. Kell Robertson
154. Marcos Flores (Sadanid too!)
155. Dagoberto Gilb
156. Shawn Truitt
157. Arleen Polite
158. Akwasi Evans
159. Mary Krenek
160. Doug Zachary
161. Carl Webb
162. Firesong
163. P.O. W. (Poet on Watch)
164. Peter Ortiz
165. Nailah Sankofa
166. Eva Lindsey
167. R.V. Adams
168. Valerie Bridgman-Davis
169. Phil West
170. Tchiya Amet
171. Torrence Gettrell
172. Pat Payne
173. Logan Phillips
174. Liliana Valenzuela
175. Shermakaye Bass
176. Luis Tames
177. Ben Olguin
178. Anita Pantin
179. Sherry Milam
180. Victoria Zapata Klein
181. Randy Koch
182. Sashua Muniz (where are you?)
183. David Moorman
184. Amanda Winters
185. Hillary Thomas
186. Debbie Ursini
187. Viola Valdez
188. Angelique (Jason too!)
189. Yvonne Duque
190. Natalia Dominguez
191. Rupert Gloria
192. Patricia Urbina (Donald too!)
193. Lupe Mendez
194. Yolanda Reyes
195. Alvaro Rios
196. Marco Iniguez (Brenda too!)
197. Manolo Callahan (Monica too!)
198. Rodney Garza (Dava too!)
199. Eli & Maria (the entire Madmedia crew)
200. Haldun Morgan
201. Jose Ruben de Leon
202. Pilar Rodriguez
203. Laney Yarber
204. Mav McNabb
205. Zoe Pardee
206. Judy Gordon
207. Christina Byrnes
208. m.m. harris
209. Machete
210. J.P. Markarian
211. Cri Rivera
212. Ramsey Sprague
213. Sahai
214. Gren
215. Rachella Parks Washington
216. Vik Bahl
217. Matt Stringer
218. Samira
219. Susan Libby
220. Mary Porter
221. Vicky Meek
222. Babs & Lama Tamang
223. Janne Bryan
224. Martha Whitehouse
225. Diane Wood
226. Karen Foley
227. John Singleton
228. Octavio Solis
229. W. Joe Hoppe
230. Norma Cantu
231. Heriberto G
232. Luis J. Rodriguez
233. Kazuko (where are you?)
234. Nadja Hamilton
235. Sylvia Orozco
236. Herlinda Zamora
237. Sonia Santana (Tom too!)
238. Robyn Medina Winnett
239. JoAnne Reyes-Boitel
240. Maria Solano
241. Clint Niosi
242. Rachel Loera
243. Nathan Kite
244. “big” Jerry of Tesuque Village Market
245. Lupe Cedillos
246. Lee Daniel
247. Rick Linklater
248. Bill Daniel
249. Emily (from Headlands Center for the Arts)
250. Ron (from UNL-Nebraska)
251. Quincy Miller
252. Emmet Campos
253. Isabella Russell-Ides
254. Al Santangelo (where are you?)
255. Vicki Monks
256. Joe Dale
257. Paul S. Flores
258. Marc Pinate
259. Brecht Andersch
260. Levi Romero
261. Pasha Allsup (QEPD)
262. David Zamora Casas
263. Sandra & Victor Payan
264. Francisco Aragon
265. Ken Hunt (QEPD)
266. She: Bike/Spoke/Love cast & crew
267. Dunya Dianne McPherson
268. Beatriz Terrazas
269. Michael “MD” Meyer (QEPD)
270. Rodrigo Pessoa
271. Layne Calabro
272. Lorenzo Thomas (QEPD)
273. Oscar Escalante
274. Michael Nye (Naomi too!)
275. Charles Dreyfus (Lila too!)


About a year ago, after a night-time shift at the library, I sat down to relax with a bottle of Heinecken and started a list of all the good friends and companions and colleagues who've stuck with me and supported me & encouraged me & partied with me & created with me through the decades of my life.

I started this list as a sort of meditation, to remind myself of the wonderful gift of friendship that I have had with so many amazing people. Today, on my birthday (9/30), I am feeling so blessed and lucky to have had all of you in my life.

With many of these folks: I've traveled or hiked or biked; shared tables & conversation until the wee hours of the morning; collaborated and performed on stages from Madison to San Francisco; distilled life's lessons and exchanged recipes for survival; and corresponded via chapbooks, mixtapes, cd demos, long philosophical emails, and cut-up collages. I have spent the night in the homes of 74 of you folks, indulging in your amazing libraries of music and literature, and having curious adventures in your hood.

When I broke my left foot in February, some of you mailed me care packages (Jen and Jackie--thanks!); brought over home-cooked meals and wine (Kat & Ken--thanks!); carried me to and from work when I couldn't drive (Ramsey, Lila, Dani O--thanks!).

When I emerged from my 2.5 day bedroom closet ordeal in May, many of you emailed and phoned me with messages of concern, love, and disbelief. (I'm still sorting through the impact of that closeted experience--stay tuned for a book, movie, or stage show about this...definitely)

So, on this anniversay day of my birth, I want to say that I love you for caring, and I thank you for being my friend, colleague, and companion. You are my tribe.

And finally, cuz I AM a POET--a short poem:


FOR YOU HAIKU


friend power is strong

i have no need for candle

you have lit my path



LOVE AND PEACE to all, Tammy

9 comments:

the amplified bard said...

i'm honored that i made your list of friends. you've also made my life have more fulfillment through your friendship as well. happy bday, chica!!!

Tammy Gomez said...

thanks, Radames. i need to get down to Houston to hang w/ you, Tonzi, and the rest of the NP gang. let me know if any shows are coming up there...

Anonymous said...

loves2writAh,
Tammy. Found your list this morning. A lifting list. The loosening borders quote quenched a thirst. I am creating my Aftican-American Leonard's Car right now. Opens on October 9th. O the clashes with the producer. Wound. Wound. And the quote from Andaluza
spoke so elegantly to the notion that the wounding is a part letting oneself be permeable. Her words kissed the wound.
SIGH!
We go on.
isabella

Tammy Gomez said...

hope to be able to catch your show, Isabella.
send me the coordinates on the usual channel, por favor.

the body is a map of our wounds, badges of courage, and skin-ny fragile scabs that remind us we are human.

Anonymous said...

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT RACHEL LOERA THE ACTRESS FROM PRISON BREAK???

Anonymous said...

Hey mujer, you have been on my mind. I found this so randomnly, I hope you are very well. Happy very late bday. You are the older virgo, the lovely libra. I hope you are writing and thriving and I send you all the best for 2009. Tu hermana, Leticia!!

Anonymous said...

I forgot to mention my humble thanks for including me in the circle of folks you appreciate. I also appreciate you girlfriend. Leticia (Hernandez-Linares) incase you know more than one...

Anonymous said...

Tammy I miss you! I think of you and smile so big. Maybe in a year or two we can spend some time in a tropical paradise and reach new kinds of creative heights together. Sending you a digital hug. Oh this is Tonzi.

Carl Webb said...

Just noticed I made the list!