Ani Who?

“Show me a moment that is mine, its beauty blinding and unsurpassed. Make me forget every moment that went by that left me so half hearted because I felt it so half-assed.”

Since the age of twelve, I can remember listening to Ani Difranco’s seemingly out of tune guitar strumming to my life’s story. Back then Ani was still playing at little coffee shops in the West Village of New York City, with only a few recordings under her belt. She was known as the little lesbian folk singer from Buffalo New York. Not many people know who Ani is, and I can honestly say that I feel bad for those people. The people who do know the masterpieces that Ani has created would call her a feminist, very political, and a very strong woman. I remember as a child being excited to vote when I turned eighteen because Ani, through her music, told me how important it was to make a voice for myself. I remember my mother asking me what I wanted to do for my eighteenth birthday and my reply was “I want to go register to vote!” My mom was shocked. As I got older there was a series of events that took place that left me feeling lost and alone. At one point I can honestly say that I had no desire to go on. I remember sitting in my room balling my eyes out. I decided to put on my favorite Ani album, close my eyes, and think. To make a long story short I can say that Ani Difranco and her music quite literally saved my life. I had the chance to meet Ani at a show I attended in Reading PA. I was at a loss for words, but one thing that I did manage to tell her was thank you. If I had more time I would have said so much more, but our time was cut short by the swarm of fans that gathered to meet her. I was not the star struck girl like a lot of her fans; I was just a girl that was extremely grateful for her and her music. She will forever be an inspiration to me.