braintissue

Saying goodbye to our childhood icons is never easy.

Though I cannot say that I was never a fan of Michael  Jackson, I can say that I was not so crazy about his weirdness over the last few years. I never pretended that I was ever Fawcett’s Charlie’s Angels character (I was more interested in Smyth’s rich-guy dating and limousine riding character…even met her recently - VERY nice lady who is not that tall in real life.). I watched Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon on the Tonight Show basically because back then it was the only thing on that late at night and I usually only was able to watch while on vacation in Hawaii and staying at my Auntie Charlotte’s house on the big island.

Today marks a sad day in the lives of the people who were at one time classified by whomever it was back in the day as “Generation X.” We lost three Hollywood icons seemingly at one time, and though I did not know these people personally, it feels like I knew them well enough from what they did on television and in music to know that a huge part of my childhood has gone away.

We will always be able to hear their voices, see them perform, listen to their laughter. Theirs was a gift to the world that will remain unmatched, from Fawcett’s many bouts of Ryan-Rage to McMahon’s penchant for marrying women several years his junior, and no one can forget the propensity toward the eccentric that Jackon was most well known for. With their quirks and their outlandish behavior and everything else in between, there is one thing that I can say that is absolutely true for just about all of us : Love them or hate them, childhood would not have been the same were they not such a huge part of it.

Their presence in the world made it seem that indeed dreams can and do come true, and that no matter who you are, what you go through, where you have been in life, their trials throughout the span of the lives we knew they lived should prove absolutely one thing for sure - they were as prone to the folly of life. They hurt, got angry, screwed up as much as anyone else could or did, and through it all, the world and her inhabitants always had a soft spot for them. Michael with his eccentricities, Farrah with her goofiness, and Ed with his old guy manner were all such a large part of who each and every one of us who can say that we know who the Brat Pack is, why it is so funny even now to think about the ‘Where’s the Beef’ lady, all are familiar with Farrah’s million dollar smile, Michael’s glittering glove, and none of us will ever forget “heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere’s Johnny!”

To the families of these three celebrities I bid my aloha, my mana, and send light evergy of healing and Love to you all.

To my fellow Gen-Xer’s, I give you Billie-Jean, Karnak and feathered hair and a toothy smile.

I Love you All

MAPU

Trackback URI | Comments RSS