Driss R. Temsamani
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About Rewind
I started writing Rewind on my birthday, in December of 2004. , I was having breakfast at my home in Miami. Seated on my balcony that overlooked the bay, awash in blues, I was suddenly struck by the urge to write something about myself, about the events in my life, some good, some bad, but all contributing to who I was at that moment. I poured another cup of coffee and began to write a story I called Rewind. It turned out to be a metaphor of my life. In the story, I am a leaf on a branch of a strong tree growing next to a pond. It’s a parable about my upbringing in Tangiers, Morocco. Tangiers is in the very north of the country, where the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean converge at the Straits of Gibraltar. Maybe that’s what prompted me to write the story in the first place. Like that tree, I grew up with a view of water, met lots of characters who taught me about life, and migrated from place to place in search of a home. This volume is the product of that labor.
Driss R. Temsamani is a writer, a poet, and a well-known marketing expert with a strong artistic background. His is the creator of “DNA Marketing” and the “Art of Marketing,” two theories that he frequently teaches and talks about at industry and trade events. His specialties include cultural marketing, visualization, and emotional experience. Driss Temsamani was born in Tangiers Morocco, and has been living in the USA, Miami, Florida since 1987.
To contact Driss Temsamani go to www.drisstemsamani.com or send email to author@drisstemsamani.com.
I was born next to a pond. A fragile leaf from a strong tree, I blossomed to a tall branch. Too ambitious for my pond and too rebellious to stay in my tree, I decided to change my destiny and break free.
Growing up, I met many mentors: a wise frog, a humble fish, and a duck; all tried to teach me the ways of the pond. My biggest adventure began when I met the most wonderful butterfly. She made everything so simple that I dared to leave my pond and venture to the vast ocean.
As the currents drifted me away, toward the burning sun, I realized that I was at a point of no return. I bounced left and right against the waves, and to make the best of the trip, I decided to have fun and not look back.
While drifting in the ocean, I met sharks, eels, and even some killer whales. I also met some stingrays, but always avoided their enchanting and sensual moves. They all told me things that I can barely remember; but one thing for sure, I have always stayed alert to their ways and hollow looks.
Day after day, the currents drew me further away from my home. The farther I got, the wiser I became: from migrating birds, I learned history; from a school of fish, I learned leadership; from the manatees, I learned compassion; and from one particular dolphin, I learned to love.
One day, I found myself riding a storm. I had never seen such a thing. I started to despair; then I remembered patience, courage, and grace. I remembered the words, but could not remember the wise who spoke them. Only one picture came to my mind: a tree, tall and strong, and defiant to the hurly winds. The harsh rains made me remember the frog…the catfish…and the duck of the old pond.
My skin shivered, and a flood of confidence invaded my body. With confidence, I confronted the storm, and as the time passed, I survived. I become confident, arrogant, strong, smart, and ready for any challenge that may come. I continue the ride.
The sun set on a beautiful and endless horizon, and from nowhere, I was hit from behind, only to realize that the fight had just begun. With courage, I confronted my fears. I fought with a cold heart, selfishness, and dry eyes. The hours felt like days; the days felt like months; and the years felt like seconds. One night, bleeding and tired, I crashed on a rock and I decided to rest. My will was broken and I had many scars. I realized that I had lost a lot of companions along the way; the goldfish, the seahorse, and the migrating turtle.
Feeling lonely, I remembered my home, and I cried alone in the dark. As my last tear dripped, I glanced at the sky and I saw a shooting star. I smiled, made a wish, and decided to rest for a while. Right before I closed my eyes, out of the deep of the darkness, the dolphin appeared and with her soft skin, she touched me and ended the restless night.
The next day, I woke up to a new morning, and I found that the ocean was calm. I was ready to drift again toward my destiny: I wanted to let my roots grow; I wanted to see many leaves blossom; I wanted to honor the tree. I was determined not to rest until I found my own pond.
