Paradigm-Ani DiFranco

[00:00.00] [00:37.92]I was born to two immigrants [00:41.04]Who knew why they were here [00:46.18]They were happy to pay taxes [00:48.22]For the schools and roads [00:50.27]Happy to be here [00:54.34]They took it seriously [00:58.46]The second job of citizenry [01:02.42]My mother went campaigning door to door [01:05.74]And holding to her hand was me [01:09.01] [01:09.93]I was just a girl in a room full of women [01:14.08]Licking stamps and laughing [01:18.11]I remember the feeling of community brewing [01:22.55]Of democracy happening [01:25.27] [01:43.66]But I suppose like anybody [01:47.84]I had to teach myself to see [01:52.09]All that stuff that got lost [01:54.22]On its way to church [01:56.24]All that stuff that got lost [01:58.34]On its way to school [02:00.27]All that stuff that got lost [02:02.45]On its way to the house of my family [02:06.20]All that stuff that was not lost on me [02:11.31] [02:12.20]Teach myself to see each of us [02:14.09]Through the lens of forgiveness [02:16.08]Like we're stuck with each other (god forbid!) [02:20.44]Teach myself to smile and stop and talk [02:24.11]To a whole other color kid [02:28.64]Teach myself to be new in an instant [02:31.04]Like the truth is accessible at any time [02:37.53]Teach myself it's never really one or the other [02:40.50]There's a paradox in every paradigm [02:45.06] [03:17.57]I was just a girl in a room full of women [03:21.40]Licking stamps and laughing [03:25.38]I remember the feeling of community brewing [03:29.87]Of democracy happening [03:33.52] [03:46.99] [04:08.76] [04:22.58] [04:29.86]END