So the other night I went to a poetry. I know what you’re thinking – “Wow, Daryl. You are so cultured!” I know. Not knowing if this next sentence will further impress or destroy my refined and genteel image, I’ll mention it was in Spanish about something I’ve never heard about – Nadaism (that’s a link to Wikipedia). Essentially it is an avant-garde poetry movement that occurred in Colombia during my dad’s childhood.

These Colombian Beatniks, almost all of whom seemed too young to have been very active in the original movement, read poetry, captivating their audience. I must say, Colombians are fantastic orators – even in a language I barely speak I was thrilled by the gusto, the punctuation and passion behind the words. I wasn’t the only one – after a song, fireworks unexpectedly went off behind the open-air stage. The church next door also felt threatened by these “nothing-sits”, cranking their gospel louder and louder through outdoor speakers.

As the night came to a close, it seemed only fitting that the night end with a grande finale. As the final reading finished, Celine Dion’s voice cracked through the still night air… From the popular movie soundtrack, Titanic, she sang “My Heart Will Go On”. A perfect ending to a rather strange evening.

After carefully considering the many signs from the evening, the music, the poetry, the fireworks, the sombreros, we decided to become a Todo-ists instead. We will embrace everything – which we figure is pretty much the same thing as being a Nadaist anyways.