I Have An Imagined Gypsy Tiny-House Where I Go

If I could have a gypsy caravan-tiny house, it would look like this. After the assassination of Charlie Kirk, I imagined myself into this charming place and listened to what is called, Gypsy Jazz. It brought my heart back into rhythm again.

Did you see the movie Chocolat with Johnny Depp and Rachel Binoche?

It was here I heard and fell in love with the ‘Caravan Song’ that is the background music for a scene where Depp and Portman dance a slow, sexy dance. If you are a romantic like me, you will love this moment in the film and perhaps come to appreciate Gypsy Jazz as I did.

The ‘caravan song’ is copyrighted, so I can’t include it in this post. I tried! Check it out.

Because my heart has been heavy, I looked for something that might soften the sharp edges of this senselessness.

I turned to music. Not loud or insistent, but music with a lilt that reminds me there is grace all around. That’s why I want to share with you the gift of Gypsy Jazz.

Tim Robinson playing Night and Day….you are the one!

Born in 1930s France, this style of music was shaped by Django Reinhardt, a Romani guitarist who overcame a terrible injury to create a sound the world had never heard before.

Gypsy Jazz is carried on strings, guitars strumming with a heartbeat rhythm called la pompe, violins soaring overhead. It is music that can be lighthearted, romantic, as café music, festival music, music that finds its way into sorrow.

It is the rhythm of resilience. It’s what I need when words fall short.
I recommend Gypsy Jazz to you, slow, playful, evocative. Let it carry you for a few minutes, let it set a rhythm in your heart. We cannot erase this shameful event, but we can remind ourselves that beauty still exists, waiting to meet us where we are if we look for it and claim it.

This post is with Charles Kirk in mind. Lines in the prayer book read about coming to Jesus not as a stranger but as a friend. I have always loved this idea. There is no doubt in my mind that this is true for this fine young man. Rest In Peace.