Flight of the Conchords is back! I was lucky enough to see them perform live when I worked as an usher at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville 20 years ago.
I’ve been thinking about that time in my life recently. I was telling a friend about the Evil Hippie Diva, a well-worn groove in my repertoire of personal stories. Yesterday I looked up that famous song of hers and discovered that she had passed away over two years ago at the age of 75.
While she was possibly the most difficult person I have ever known, I still have respect for her tenacity and enormous creative talent. I learned a lot as one of her backup singers, singing shows with her in Nashville and on that one fateful trip to Tulsa.
Today I revisited The Moth storytelling show I participated in while living in San Francisco in 2018. By that time I had been sharing the Evil Hippie Diva story for over a decade, yet presenting it at the StorySLAM was a whole new ballgame.
“For the StorySLAM, ten participants are chosen at random from a pool of volunteer storytellers to tell a true story (without notes) in the five minute range. Storytellers are scored based on the content of their stories, and their storytelling abilities, by three teams of judges—selected from audience members—on a scale from one to ten.”
The topic was “manners.” I was so scared, so nervous, even though I had been performing on stages big and small for many years at that point. Three teams of judges! What if nobody laughs? What if nobody cares? Like the Flight of the Chonchords, I fretted about hurt feelings.
Now in 2026, The Moth experience is also a part of my repertoire. I used the alias E.D. (“Edie”) for Evil Hippie Diva – perhaps to spare her feelings and her wrath – though I’d like to think she’d somehow be pleased with my story. Part of her fury was fueled by not getting the respect she deserved as an artist. I get that. It’s a tough business, making art.
One of the women on the Portugal retreat told me that she had been a body double for a very famous actor in the mid 2010s. While the actor herself was kind, there were others on the set that were not so nice.
“Impossible, relationships,” says Richard Gere in the movie Pretty Woman. Impossible? I hope not. A more recent fraught relationship reminded me of just how hard it can be to see eye to eye. I want to be liked, I want that gold star, but I can’t always get it.
It may be uncomfortable, but it is not impossible to reframe how you feel about a particular relationship. This week I came up with a new mantra: “I let go of anger, I make more room in my heart.” 💗
As for the Evil Hippie Diva, I look to the hit song she wrote for Cyndi Lauper in 1986. It is fierce, just like her spirit.
Here I am
Just like I said I would be
I’m your friend
Just like you think it should be
Did you think I would stand here and lie?
While our moment was passing us by
Oh, while I’m here
Waiting for your change of heart
It just takes a beat to turn it around
Yes, I’m waiting for your change of heart
At the edge of my seat, please, turn it around (turn it around)
Seasons and Chakras meditation – this Friday we look at the heart chakra, aka your RELATION CENTER. A gateway between upper and lower chakras. 💚🩷 Email me for Zoom link.
Setting sights for the October retreat? It will be here before we know it! 👏
