#NerdsUnite: The body language of @Jack & @RickRubin
Spoiler Alert: I discovered I don’t “read” body language – I see and hear it.
Oh, and more importantly, I was interviewed yesterday for a Texas media outlet.
The first question was “Walk us through your story.”
This was my response:
How funny such a simple question has changed so dramatically in one week. My story, as of today, is that every living person should have the freedom to decide when, where, and what they do with their bodies. The Supreme Courts’ decision is discriminatory and sets a very dangerous precedent. Overturning Roe v Wade is a step backwards, and will unnecessarily put women’s lives at risk.
I’m so angry over this decision that my “inner Celt” has been activated, (a mode I did not know existed). Never cross an Irish woman scorned.
I will proudly be protesting for the freedom to decide for myself in the near future.
Now, going back to the past … WAY back to April, when women still had the right to choose.
Maestro …
I had one of the coolest moments of my career during also one of the most challenging.
I was en route to Terilingua Texas for the celebration of life of my mentor Gil Prather.
Gil and I met on the CNBC show the West Texas Investors Club. You can read more of that here.
I had never been to Terilinguia before, but had researched our route from El Paso.
Many travelers reminded to stop off at specific markets, and make sure your gas tank was full as there are hours of stretch in between cities. It was stressful, but since I was already stressed with grief, I was ready to just go with whatever was happening.
Somewhere along the way, I got a message that a migration I was working on had not gone through. I immediately pulled over to restaurant (I think it’s technically labeled as a restaurant) with a hand painted WIFI sign.
Still in my skeleton onesie, I found the one little blip of shade to protect my ivory soft and smooth Irish skin outside a tee pee. (There’s also a tee pee in this scenario.)
That little blip of shade also happened to be DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF JACK DORSEY.
I’m normally not a “take a spy photo” person but considering this was one of the coolest moments of my life, I needed it documented.
Rubin helped popularize hip hop by producing records for acts such as the Beastie Boys, Geto Boys, Run-DMC, Public Enemy, and LL Cool J. He has also produced hit records for acts from a variety of other genres, predominantly heavy metal (Danzig, Metallica and Slayer), alternative rock (the Cult, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, the Strokes and Weezer), hard rock (Audioslave and Aerosmith), nu-metal (Linkin Park, System of a Down), and country (Johnny Cash and the Chicks).
RICK RUBIN PRODUCED BABY GOT BACK!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!!
THAT IS MY KARAOKE PEANUT BUTTER, JELLY AND JAM!!
Also note the range of artists he has worked with.
To go from Johnny Cash, to ZZ Top, to Jay Z, to Ed Sheeran … all completely different genres. That’s really impressive.
Two of arguably the most influential people in their worlds are casually having lunch together in this RANDOM (I think it’s labeled as a) RESTAURANT with a hand painted WIFI sign that we TOO (Jeff and I) happen to be at.
It wasn’t like I was observing them from a stage or at an event – Rick brought his wife and kids.
I was aware this was a very, very intimate moment and a TREMENDOUS opportunity to put my newly discovered body language talents to the test.
I went into almost like a trans studying them both. It was the most “tuned in” I have ever been. If a pore enlarged in that exact moment I could have heard it.
I had to be careful not to let on what I was doing.
Jack knew that I knew who he was the second I sat down.
I think the skeleton onesie screamed “hey, I’m your target demographic and a huge fan.”
I knew it wasn’t my face, because it barely moved and my eyes were pin sized behind my massive Tom Ford glasses. The only other thing that would give me away is the onesie.
I was careful not to read their lips as an invasion of their privacy.
I trained myself to lip read at age four when my parents started to mouth plans to each other. With my honest yet to be diagnosed autism showing, I would then tell them what I lip read. They were impressed but also started to cover their mouths.
As I continued to stare, I noticed that there was a tone attached to both of them.
With Jack, I heard a buzz like a radar beeping.
Similar to this, but faster with the beats in between:
Rick Rubin sounded like this:
Remember at the time, I FOOLISHLY had NO IDEA who Rick Rubin was at the time, nor how much meditating he does, I just knew I heard the sound of OM.
It was really specific and in stark contrast to Jack’s radar buzz.
After the dust settled, I said to Jeff, so I know I see shapes around people, and now I know when I REALLY tune in I can hear tones.
How do I know that what I’m experiencing is “reading body language?” I can’t guarantee that it is. I’ve never heard a body language expert describe what they are seeing in terms of shapes and tones.
A few months back, I was diagnosed with a condition called Synesthesia.
Very simply put, my input sense is not my output sense. When I smell certain things, I can actually taste them. I have little to no sense of smell, btw.
I hear sounds, and see shapes around people. All five of my senses are merged and process information differently than the average person.
<tangent> I had no idea how to describe what I see, hear, feel, taste, and smell, so I worked with a very talented artist Alex Boya to visually and audibly show what it is like:
I see life in layers, and that’s how I can break complex ideas and thoughts down so simply and specifically. </tangent>
“Jack and Rick had such different tones, it’s surprising they are friends, but considering the vast array of artists Rick has worked with, I’m sure he’s used to not matching tones,” I said to Jeff over breakfast one morning.
“I don’t know how to proceed with writing what I experienced. I didn’t know people have tones, and I feel like not mentioning it is dishonest. I saw what I saw, and I know what I know. People have shapes around them like a cookie cutter, and now I know they have tones attached to them too.
How the FUCK do I describe that?!”
“Exactly like you just did,” said Jeff.
I then reached back out to Joe Navarro, my new homie, and the man who has the number one body language book in the world.
In the same beat and breath, I then reached out to my 8th grade art teacher, Joyce St. Germaine.
She’s been a long time family friend and spiritual teacher/ healer.
“I was in the same harmonious state as Jack Dorsey and Rick Rubin” might be most magical sentence I have ever heard.
<tangent> Sorry, “Jen, I’d like to introduce you to Buzz” … you have been replaced. </tangent>
That’s how I identified my first conman (technically con woman) using synesthesia.
I SAW A COIN! Like one from the TV show Ducktales.
I love that that’s how my conscious mind added a coin from a cartoon I haven’t seen in 30 plus years.
It took me a few weeks to fully process, and confirm yet again, that yes, I do see shapes and can tune into people’s “vibes” aka tone.
Now that I’m aware of it, the shapes and tones are getting louder and more obvious.
“Whatever is next, I know I’m ready, I said to Jeff. I was born with this gift and now that I know I have it, there’s no turning back,” I said on Friday sitting on our couch.
“I’m glad to hear you say that,” he said.
I don’t know what made me do this, but I then checked out Jeff’s Instagram and was shocked at what I saw.
THIS IS IT!!!! THIS IS THE SHAPES!!! I shouted from the living room.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
YOU CAPTURED IT!! YOU CAPTURED WHAT I SEE AROUND PEOPLE.
“Have you never looked at my Instagram feed?”
“NOT THE WHOLE THING,” I admitted. 50% of our relationship has been in quarantine. Wait, THIS YOU TAKE OFFENSE OVER!??!”
“LOOK!! YOU DID IT!! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I SEE!!”
This is how I see people normally …
I literally saw a square walk into a bar and went ummmm, that’s new.
It’s not every day you see a square walk into a bar.
THIS IS HUGE! I accurately connected the dots to “supposed” random people.
What’s the saying, if the shape fits …
You can’t hide from your energy field!!
A few hours later I messaged our mutual friend who is a laser scientist and ye who holds the patents for laser based GPS (which is how the Mars Rover landed).
I said to Jeff, “I have a choice. I can live life like Rick in an OM state, or I can live life like Jack with a buzzy radar tone (constantly scanning the room).
“Rick Rubin’s tone is like he grabbed the Earth, gave it a noogie, pulled Earth back, and went ‘we good?'”
My new mantra is “Be Like Rick.”
And for those who are interested in following a similar path, watch this interview.
