I was introduced to this music video not shortly after that time, and I immediately knew the format I wanted to take.
This music video brings me to tears every time I watch it. Seriously. There is something represented here that resonates with a very particular piece of my heart. Initially, I don't think I saw anything here other than the unique dancing, but in looking up the translation of the lyrics, I've found multiple sources that delve into the meaning behind the song. It's been said that the lyrics and depiction behind the music video are representative of Stromae's loss of his father in the Rwandan Genocide, but it's also mentioned that his father also left his family to start a second family elsewhere, making his physical loss less of a tragedy than the initial abandonment.
I don't pretend to know all the nuances behind the art of this song and music video, but its depiction is soulful and moving for me because of how it makes me think of the development of my relationship with my father, and what it has evolved into.
Anyone who knows both me and my dad can say that we are completely different people. I take a passion in music and arts, and have a particular talent for both. Sports are definitely not my forté (as evidenced by my using a musical term to describe how bad I am at them), and I tend to be more hesitant to leave my comfort zone, but rather love to engage in deep conversations with those I love. By contrast, my dad's not really a talker, loves sports, and is always reaching out to learn new things. Even in conversations we have with each other, we joke that I got all my mom's genes except for the ones that make me look like him. Even now, I can almost guarantee that when my dad watches this music video, he will wonder (maybe even aloud), "What on earth am I watching right now?"
Growing up, my dad and I didn't really get along. That's not to say we fought - we didn't. I'm not a fighter. But I think he was somewhat disappointed in the oldest son he got, and I felt misunderstood and disconnected sometimes. That's not to say he didn't love me (because he absolutely did and does), we were just so different he didn't quite know how to connect when his passions and interests were next to nothing for me. If you'd asked me then, I would probably have told you I felt exactly like the child in this video.
I won't go into all the details, since they're personal and unnecessary to this narrative, but in the last five to six years or so, there's been a distinct change in my relationship with my dad. That's not to say that suddenly we're much more similar than we were - but there's a bridge where there used to be a wall.
I watch this video, and firstly I see the child I was, frustrated I had a father that was there and provided the instruction to grow, but didn't connect with me on my level. However, I cry because of what I see now. I see a dad that asks me about my interests, and takes a genuine interest in what I'm passionate about even if he's not. I see a dad that listens to showtunes because they remind him of me. I see a dad that will talk with me for hours, even if that's not something he does with anyone else. I see a dad who will sometimes just listen. And because he's still my dad, I see a dad who still makes cheesy jokes that make me groan. I see a dad who sends me books like every other month about something that has helped him grow or something that he believes will help me grow with things that affect me specifically. Sometimes they help. Sometimes they don't. But they show he cares.
I would be proud to grow up to be the kind of man my dad is. Because even though he does it different than I do, my daddy dances. And he dances with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment