Enlightening Conversations: The Spiritual Capitalist from Memphis TN
There is a person whom I met by chance during my visit to Memphis TN. In between the barbecue, W.A.P blasting on everyone’s speakers for the scooters, yoga by the river, a soccer game at Auto Zone Park and consequently making friends with a local pub owner and a sommelier —the two hours that I spent sharing with this self proclaimed spiritual capitalist continues to enlighten me.
It was a hot August afternoon and I was lost, confused, sweaty and thirsty. Something just wasn’t right and I presumed it was because of the ongoing Pandemic where a year ago it was just getting started. The tram to cross over the river seems to be out of service — it would save me so much walking. Without that tram, I’m looking at an extra two miles to visit Mud Island. Weighing my options, I notice this man and his bike over by the bench under the shade of the Welcome Center. He looks like a local, perhaps he know what the deal-o.
“Hello” I say to the man as I approach him. He seems to be in his late 50s, stocky build, average stature, black, with shorter dark hair. He’s now looking at me over his prescription glasses. “Do you know the hours for the tram?” I ask him as I look at the rail line above us, surely he must know. “Hmm” he says looking at the watch strapped around his right wrist. “It should be on now… ” he stammers “Oh but with the COVID now they probably shut it down” he proclaims as the realization of yet something else that is being affected by the new pandemic. I nodded my head silently in agreement as my decision seems to decide itself. “Weren’t you just walking the other way?” he asks me. “Yes I was” I admit amidst my slight embarrassment, how attentive of him. He smiles with his eyes and offers me a bottle of water.
“Thank you, very kind sir” I tell him accepting the water. Pleased by the synchronicity of it all I crack that top open and sip on the cold water. “You from around here?” I ask him in between thirst quenching sips. “Yes sir, born and raised here in Memphis” he tells me with a mix of pride and perhaps disbelief as he revisits the major portions of his life here at home. People are very polite down here always addressing with the proper Sr and Mrs — “What about you? you from ‘round here young man?” he asks me back. “No, I’m just visiting, passing through for a couple of weeks; really enjoying it so far” I confess as I too reexamine my time here in my new home.
He then asks me where I’m visiting from and how he used to work outside DC. Impressed with my background he confessed how he too used to code back in the day and is a fan of technology. I asked him how Memphis has changed over years and the effect of technology. He said to me “technology is gonna keep changing it’s the people that don’t.”
The sun continues its descent as dusk begins to show. The sweat that was my forehead is starting to dissipate and my arm pits are turned off. Brady has told me how he’s taken up his mom from the nursing home since the pandemic. She’s in her ninety’s and missing an eye. He’s also taken on cycling, to help shredding some of his gut. He’ll tell me about his work with at risk kids, trying to get them to stick to school so they can see twenty-five. “The system is fucked up and the kids don’t know that they have more options than gang banging. That’s where I come in” he says to me. “Like I told you earlier, I practice spiritual capitalism and that’s what I teach my kids. I teach that no matter what they are always the king and queens of their castle. I tell them as kings and queens it is in their best interest to ensure that their castle is in order. To have your castle in order means to have your body, your brain and your soul in order. As king you can only serve one master and that’s the one that watches over all of us, that same one that dwells deep within your being. I tell them that as kings and queens they must eliminate all threats both internal and external which pose a risk to the order of your castle. The castle is where your spirit lives and ensuring it’s well-being is your top priority. What I teach is to be rich in spirit and in love. Love and compassion are the tools of the spiritual capitalist. We maximize our abundance of spirit by acknowledging the same royalty present in everyone else.” he finishes off. My attention still fixated on him I edge him on as I agree “That all makes sense to me”. I absorb some of the subtle nuances of his discourse, which he summarizes with “be the king of your castle”. It almost sounds like it should be on the side of a cereal box.
He then quickly proceeds to prompt me with “Who the kind of your castle?” I look at him half puzzled as the answer should go without saying. “I am” I say quietly to his dissatisfaction. He then asks me again, and again, and again until my lungs are on top of that tram rail above me letting out a single “I AM!”. He laughs and then I laugh as a cool breeze begins to pick up. “People like to be put in boxes, it’s a survival thing we do to allow for our brains to make better decisions, we discriminate and classify things. The thing is that we started doing that with people and stopped acknowledging that we are all kings and queens of a castle in this infinite kingdom. As king and queen you always get to decide what goes on in your castle. It’s up to you to make sure that you like what you see and know that you have the power to change it.”
The last thing I try and tell my kids is that within them is everything that they need and whenever in doubt to know that all it takes is to take a deep breath. Breathe in the knowledge that is scattered everywhere and be aware for the answers are there for those that prepare. Be aware of the changes that go in your castle and you will be to quickly adapt and keep order. The breath is the anchor that draws your awareness into the present halting thoughts of the past or the future. Breathe knowing that all is well my kings and queens.
The sun is now covered by the low trees that hug alongside the river. Brady tells me that just because he has heart shaped eyes don’t mean he won’t put a motherfucker in his place. He proceeded to tell me a quick story of a time where he got close to putting his Zen Fu into action.
“Every Tuesday Thursday, around 9 at night, these guys would post up down the street, blaring music from their cars until midnight or later. I’d always ignore it they’ll be gone soon enough he’d tell himself. This would go on for weeks and weeks and now approaching the month mark and these guys were still out here. Bad stuff was happening right here in my neighborhood, my kids are out here my friends kids are out here. One night, I get home late from work, and there they are. I knew it was risky to approach and try to cooperate, but that’s enough of that. I was ready to fight them and sometimes that’s what it takes. People are going to be out here trying to take as much as they can and it’s up to you to say no that’s for you. You gotta be willing to defend what is yours and what you believe in. When your belief is firm man people feel it. I told them that I’ve noticed them here before and how it’s disruptive. I wasn’t trying to threaten them but I was ready to threaten them. Thankfully one of them agreed and said he knew of another spot and I never saw them again.”
I expressed to him my interest in martial arts and how I’ve never heard of no Zen Fu. So he proceeds to ask me, “would you like to spar?” — “Why yes, yes I do”. He looked at me and immediately strikes towards my openings. “You’re all opened up man!” — “Chill hombre, I wasn’t squared up yet”. He strikes me again. Needless to say I’ve now added a room for Zen Fu in my castle, the one where I am King.
