Ashley Williams Instagram – If you knew me in the 90s, you knew me as an Ani DiFranco obsessed, grunge devoted, wildly liberal creative with hard edges and a soft center. One of my big final presentations in college was to act out the entire “life cycle“ of Ani DiFranco, including acting out her birth as a baby— crying and all. 😂😂 I WAS SO HARDCORE. It still makes me laugh when I think about it in hindsight.
I didn’t just go to her concerts, I showed up six hours early to catch a glimpse of her meditating in a meadow nearby, was first in line to stand in general admission, and then hid in the bushes next to her tour bus to catch a glimpse of her at the end of the night. She was the first character I ever fully studied. I used her lyrics like a map to unlock her history and how her entirely complicated brain worked. Her albums were the soundtrack of my coming of age.
She taught me how to talk to people who condescend to me. She taught me to invest in women— That competition would get us nowhere, but coffee, authenticity and giggles would get us everywhere. She was right.
Also if you know me and my loved ones now, you know that the last few weeks of our lives has been hell on our hearts. My thoughtful husband surprised me last night with something I did not know I needed: I got to revisit myself in my 20s. Good news: She’s still there. Full of hope, strength, and most importantly curiosity. Giggles were in there somewhere too— we’re working on it.
Ani, you’ll never read this because you’re so cool, and even if you do, you’ll never fully understand how you made me who I am cuz it’s just too much, but oh boy am I just as grateful as I always have been. Thank you for letting me celebrate you and me and all of us, including firefighters, last night. As always, what doesn’t bend, breaks. Grateful for the sway. @anidifranco #ani #music #whatdoesntbendbreaks #firefighters #anidifranco | Posted on 26/Jan/2025 00:39:46
