Who would have thought they would all go within a few months
of one another? Less than than 3 months
apart, 4 amazing legends…just gone.
Whether you loved them, hated them, or didn’t really care;
somehow in some way all four of these dynamic people touched the lives of
nearly everyone. (Exempt are the
cultists, Duggars, and Amish…ok perhaps a few people more)
Maybe when you were a little girl you dressed up and
pretended to work hard for the money, or you once dreamed of finding your own
white knight on a steed. Surely once,
just once you counted down with Dick Clark or sung songs watching American
Bandstand. Did you ever fight for your
right to party? Maybe have no sleep til
Brooklyn, while singing MacArthur Park, and not being a stepping stone on a New
Year’s Rockin Eve. When you were a little boy did your Mom throw away your best porno mag? Busted!
Somehow this mismatched trio is now together playing on
while Dick Clark again announces them. Somehow
these 4 people tie most of our lives together.
I remember thinking “wow Donna Summer really isn’t that beautiful but
she sings really good!!” I remember
bobby pinning a towel to my head pretending I had her long hair and singing her
songs. I wanted to wear shiny disco hot
pants, be tall and sing like Donna among others…She works hard for the money is one
of those life songs. License to Ill was
the first tape (yes tape for my walkman!) of any rap I ever owned. I was a Brass Monkey junkie, I fought for my
right to party, I was rhymin and stealin…but not very well. I counted that ball down with Dick Clark
every year that I was old enough to. The
Monkees made sense of a messed up life for me.
Since February the world has lost 4 people, most of us have
at least heard of. The world has also
lost countless we haven’t, but their families have heard of them. They touched the lives of those around
them. We celebrate and collectively
mourn everyone who touches our lives in any way, shape or form. I’ve mourned teachers, friends, family….all
through the years. The deaths that have
the most impact on me are the ones who touched me the most, regardless of
whether they knew it or not. We mourn
not for those who’ve gone, but for ourselves.
Our loss, our emptiness, the impact we felt but maybe never mentioned,
the person we loved but never told, the personality we admired, the people we
never knew but felt we did all the same.
This summer there will be one great block party wherever
they are
