DON'T SHOOT! I LOVED 'EM ALL!

Don't get me wrong.  I am not cold hearted and I care very much for those that I know and have known that are in the throes of addiction or have died as a result of that addiction.  My point is...Who is more important?  People that we personally know and have affected our lives in some way....or a super entertainer who has made millions, but chose a life of drugs and insanity? 

Music is a major part of my life.  I have memories of periods in my life that are sparked when I hear the great music of Elvis, Judy Garland, Janis Joplin, Michael Jackson...and yes, even Whitney Houston.  However, it's their MUSIC that I will remember and I just can't forget the lives they chose to live.  I cannot respect that drugs, alcohol and a path of destruction took all of their lives.   Before the deaths of these entertainers the media was full of stories, photos and clips showing the downward spiral of each.  The public was abuzz waiting for MORE sordid details and most had turned their back on these "idols".  But the minute they died, as a result of those same actions that had been discrediting them for months and years, they were all put on a pedestal.  All of a sudden their poor decisions were blamed on other people and circumstances.  They became saints that were brought to their untimely death(s) by "those people", not by choices they had made themselves.

 

Boy, am I going to make enemies with this week's blog!  Addiction is a force that I am very familiar with.  It has been, and still is, in my family most of my life.  I have seen these people that I love be enabled by other family members and I have heard the excuses made by them...and for them.  I believe in helping those that help themselves.  I'm not bitter and I'm certainly not one to turn my back on someone that needs help...and knows it.  The secret word to me is "knows".  The people in my life that were, and are, addicts have all been excellent in getting others to promote their lifestyle by blaming others.  Here's a quote I try to use on myself every day:

"I searched for the enemy that I could not see, when I looked in the mirror the enemy was me."

Until we see that we are our enemy and that others are not to blame for our faults we will always blame others for the bad things that happen to us. 

The life and times of mega entertainers and movie stars have never mesmerized me.  I have enjoyed many and admired some.  I do not live to see what one is doing today or what they are wearing.  I could care less who they were seen with last night.  What I DO care about are my friends and family members.  Are they well?  Are they having a hard time?  Is there anything I can do to help THEM?  If you passed by a simple human being who was drunk or out of their mind on drugs would you stop to help? Most would keep going and comment to ourselves or those in our company what a sorry piece of crap that person was.  But if that person was recognized as a "star" those same folks would be willing to risk their own lives to be the first one to help.  This just doesn't make sense to me.

Your star status, big car, fancy clothes, expensive jewelry or big house do not make you important to me.  It's what's inside of you that makes an impression on me.

Today's Facebook, newspapers, TV news and "tweets" are full of Whitney Houston's death.  We have watched in the past years her self-destructive behavior, abusive relationship and drug abuse.  Once with the voice of an angel, Whitney Houston chose a life that ruined her voice, her beautiful looks...and her family.  The minute news got out that she was dead the media and many people discarded every fact and put this woman on a pedestal, blaming Bobby Brown and her fame for her destruction.  Give me a break.  Yes, I am always sad to hear that one of our great entertainers is dead.  But, yes, I also see the choices they made that brought on their early death.  We ALL have problems.  We ALL have to find a way to deal with those problems.  It's the CHOICES that we make in order to handle these problems that will make or break us.

I have a childhood friend whose father was a smart and funny man...but a hopeless and sometimes mean alcoholic.  He was found dead at the base of his bathroom commode due to complications from his alcoholism...pretty much like Judy Garland AND Elvis Presley.  Once the stories died down after his funeral I rarely heard the man's name mentioned again.  Once a beloved father, his memory is now thrown in a closet and not spoken of.  Too bad he wasn't a movie star...it could have all been made to seem glamorous and his family, friends and profession could have been blamed for his death, rather than the poor choices he made in how to handle life. 

In my lifetime I have met quite a few movie stars, two US Presidents and many singers.  It was always a thrill to meet and interact with them at the time, but I don't have photos and memorabilia spilling out of my home boasting about it.  Instead, I have photos and memorabilia regarding my life with friends and family.  These are the people that mean the world to me. 

Will my children and grandchildren remember me when I'm gone by the "famous" people that came into my life for whatever reason?....Or will they remember me for the good friends and fun times with family?  I sure hope they remember me for the latter....Because they are the ones who helped make me who I am.....But the bad things that I am are the result of poor choices that I made...I MADE...We choose what we allow others to do to us and how we respond.  I don't know about you...but I want to be the star in my family's life!  Remember, it's the help of your friends that get you by....Not time spent going ga ga over somebody else's "glamourous" life.

So..Until we meet up on that heavenly stage...Just keep your family and friends close...And keep on dancin'!

Kristyemac

Hey!  It's just an opinion!  I still luv ya!  How about talkin' to me and leave a comment!