The Bowie Blues

Anyone who's read this blog and knows of my love for the character of Jareth (and a certain enhanced body part of his -- and thank you to the people that found and viewed that post today...) had to see this blog coming a mile away.

As I scrolled down my FB news feed this morning, the first post I saw was from a dear friend who posted "I can't believe he's gone". Knowing that she's married with three kids -- two of whom are boys -- that was a bit concerning, but I thought to glance over at trending news to see if any celebs had passed overnight. And there it was. David Bowie had died.

I was struck silent (a rarity for me), and quickly read the article, thinking it had to be a car accident or something because he was relatively young at 69. Nope. Cancer. Pardon my French, but fuck cancer. I've known too many people that it's hit -- from my mom having breast cancer twice (she survived, thankfully) to my nana with liver cancer and so many more. It's just brutal and there's no rhyme or reason to it.

With that said, I read through post after post about Bowie's passing -- and adding my own, of course. I held back the tears though as life needed to continue, getting my son ready to school and then driving him to school. After I dropped him off, I turned on my CD player, thinking I still had Bowie's CD in there. I had blared "Life on Mars" and "Heroes" Friday as a confidence-booster before a job interview, which definitely helped. However, I had since changed the CD over to Indigo Girls and I found "Ghost" coming through the speakers. Ha! Well played, coincidence. I sang along with tears running down my cheeks, missing someone I'd never met but who had played quite a large part in my life over the years.

I was first introduced to David Bowie via "Labyrinth" and we already know my feelings on that movie. I was a lonely shy as hell little girl who wanted desperately to be somewhere else, and David Bowie's Goblin land sure seemed like a perfect place. The masquerade ball. Come on. It looked like bliss. Yes, it was a dream/vision, but still -- it looked heavenly. And David Bowie as Jareth became my dream man in the process.

After that, he wasn't really on my radar until college when I met my people and finally felt like I fit in somewhere. Thanks to my radio DJ buds/dorm-mates, I learned about more of David Bowie's music. "Heroes" and "Modern Love" still makes me think of basement parties in college and freedom and fun.

I still remember being at a college bud's graduation party (he'd graduated the year before me) and hanging out in the backyard with some people I knew and friends of theirs that I hadn't previously met. Found myself talking with one of those guys -- an artist-type with long blonde hair who burst into "Ground Control to Major Tom" and I smiled because it was just so quirky and unexpected. It was one of those moments that will always stick with me. That guy... Not so much. He came to a party we had in our suite a few months later. I was pleasantly shocked to see him, but I hadn't yet mastered the whole actually talking to guys I was attracted to thing. Oof. Yeah, I thought that if things were meant to be, the conversation just flowed and didn't need to be worked on. Naive!! Not too surprisingly, he wound up talking to another person that was interested in art like he was and actually talked -- my best friend. Yup, double oof. He asked her out and she came to me because she knew I'd been interested in him. I gave her my blessing (how could I not?) and they went out once and then never again because he wouldn't slow down at on ramps to let other people get on the highway. Looking back at that, I wonder if she stopped seeing him due to our friendship because that seems like an odd reason to end something. But regardless, that song will always make me think of that moment in the backyard at dusk.

Then, I found "Life on Mars" the UK version and was hooked. That started my love for British dramas which then led to "Doctor Who" and "Ashes to Ashes" (the follow up to Life on Mars, which I'm bummed I can't find for US DVDs...)

All of this is to say, thank you, Mr. Bowie, for helping a girl who always thought she was quite weird feel very not so weird over the years and find kinship and growth.