"Heal the Pain"
DECEMBER 24, 2016
Under the blanket of the night sky, Goring-on Thames villagers made their way down the town's streets as part of their annual Christmas Eve torchlight procession and carol singing tradition. As the procession approached Mill Cottage, the countryside abode of pop music icon George Michael, the villagers took notice of the fact that its famous homeowner was watching the festivities from one of his windows albeit his visage was slightly obscured. In retrospect it was heartbreaking for his fans to hear that their beloved idol was home alone with nothing more than his thoughts as he watched the holiday festivities from the confines of his home.
How unusual is it for someone to want to be left alone on a day that memorializes the date of birth of a loved one that they've lost? My father's birthday falls on a holiday here in the United States and it's not unusual for me to sit out from the festivities because it's personally difficult for me to partake in the revelry. It has been more than ten years since my father lost his courageous battle with liver disease and although the ache from the loss has dulled with the passing of time the wound has never fully healed. There are days when it feels like the bandage placed over the wound is being mercilessly ripped off thankfully those days pass as do the blues.
This blog writer can emphasize with George Michael as I understand how he may have been feeling on Christmas Eve: as it was his dear mother Lesley's birthday, who he'd lost to breast cancer in 1997. When you lose a parent there is an unmistakable void that can never be filled as they were your nurturer, protector, teacher and first best friend. Sometimes, being left alone with one's thoughts and memories is the only thing they may want or need on these difficult days. George Michael drew his last breaths here on earth alone and the only comfort that we can draw from our loss is the fact that he has been reunited with his beloved mother, who he adored.
BREAKING NEWS
SINGER GEORGE MICHAEL 53 - DIES
DECEMBER 25, 2016
George Michael -53 - passed away peacefully in his sleep. It's the news that shook pop music icon George Michael's fans to their very cores and has divided them in its aftermath. To state that Michael's fans are divided is an understatement as Administrators of several online fan pages and support groups have been forced to prohibit certain topics of discussion to avoid volatile disputes between their followers. We at A Different Corner: The Blog, believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion(s). An opinion is a view or judgment formed about something that is not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.
You read in Rivalry & Unity, that this blog writer did "hard" time in the trenches of some of the most contentious battles between Michael's fans on the comment threads of the social networking site Instagram. This blog writer is a person who was not comfortable fading into the backdrop as a conformist follower who was seeking approval from others but rather an individualist whose emergence signified a more progressive and provocative pattern of discussion. As time passed, it became apparent that the comment threads were not the proper platform in which to introduce commentary about big box topics like erasing the stigmas associated with drug dependency, mental illness and combating other biases.
What sets a leader apart from the rest of the pack is their willingness to go all in without the promise or desire of attaining glory. This blog is my domain and as its leader it's my responsibility to examine the facts as well as to look at matters objectively, despite the fact that my views may not always be popular with the consensus of others. There will be times when my views cut across the grain rather than against it: because how else are we as a society going to learn and grow from our mistakes or experiences/ It would be remiss of me not to remind you that opinions are often fueled by emotion and they need to be checked at the proverbial door before we go any further.
As devoted fans we want to believe that on some level we knew George Michael; however the truth of the matter is that we only know what he allowed us to know, by way of the interviews that he granted through the years. Having read through the comment threads of the posts on the various social media sites and seeing the authority in which some of his fans "spoke" about matters they were not privy to was/is alarming to me. We don't know what truly happened in his relationships as those dealings were private and we need to respect the fact that he made his own choices regardless of whether we agreed with them or not.
This blog writer does not believe that anyone has the right to stand in judgment of others; as nobody is perfect that is a fact that many people forget while they are conjecturing or opining over matters that do not directly involve them. One does not have to like or agree with someones choices, ideas or opinions but the least we can do for one another is to listen without prejudice. Hatred breeds hate but kindness can draw out the darkness. The lack of respect for others demonstrated through the comment threads has been utterly appalling and certainly not becoming of lovelies the term that Michael coined for his loyal fans.
DECEMBER 26, 2016
Why am I doing this blog? That's a good question! This blog writer can only say it's because I do want to help heal the pain which has caused the divide between Michael's fans. My unabashed and fresh point of view may shed a different light on the issues that have caused such strife. Opening up serious discourse about the big box issues that fueled heated debates promotes evolution instead of the stagnancy associated with just sweeping the issues under a rug. George Michael would not want us attacking his former partners, family, friends and least of all each other in the manner in which we have.
Until, the next post I bid you all well and hope that you'll continue on this journey with me. xx
Writer's personal request: Please keep George Michael's family, friends and fans in your thoughts and prayers as Sunday, June 25, 2017 marks what would have been George's 54th birthday. It will now mark their 1st birthday without him. (George's 1st in heaven)
You read in Rivalry & Unity, that this blog writer did "hard" time in the trenches of some of the most contentious battles between Michael's fans on the comment threads of the social networking site Instagram. This blog writer is a person who was not comfortable fading into the backdrop as a conformist follower who was seeking approval from others but rather an individualist whose emergence signified a more progressive and provocative pattern of discussion. As time passed, it became apparent that the comment threads were not the proper platform in which to introduce commentary about big box topics like erasing the stigmas associated with drug dependency, mental illness and combating other biases.
What sets a leader apart from the rest of the pack is their willingness to go all in without the promise or desire of attaining glory. This blog is my domain and as its leader it's my responsibility to examine the facts as well as to look at matters objectively, despite the fact that my views may not always be popular with the consensus of others. There will be times when my views cut across the grain rather than against it: because how else are we as a society going to learn and grow from our mistakes or experiences/ It would be remiss of me not to remind you that opinions are often fueled by emotion and they need to be checked at the proverbial door before we go any further.
As devoted fans we want to believe that on some level we knew George Michael; however the truth of the matter is that we only know what he allowed us to know, by way of the interviews that he granted through the years. Having read through the comment threads of the posts on the various social media sites and seeing the authority in which some of his fans "spoke" about matters they were not privy to was/is alarming to me. We don't know what truly happened in his relationships as those dealings were private and we need to respect the fact that he made his own choices regardless of whether we agreed with them or not.
This blog writer does not believe that anyone has the right to stand in judgment of others; as nobody is perfect that is a fact that many people forget while they are conjecturing or opining over matters that do not directly involve them. One does not have to like or agree with someones choices, ideas or opinions but the least we can do for one another is to listen without prejudice. Hatred breeds hate but kindness can draw out the darkness. The lack of respect for others demonstrated through the comment threads has been utterly appalling and certainly not becoming of lovelies the term that Michael coined for his loyal fans.
DECEMBER 26, 2016
Posting to social media sites has vastly eliminated the need for one to keep a physical diary or journal and undoubtedly become the most prevalent manner in which people keep family, friends as well as acquaintances updated on the happenings in their lives. Everyone grieves and reacts differently in times of crisis and they are entitled to do so as they wish. This social media post is one of several others that will be discussed in further detail in upcoming blog posts: where I will begin to strip away the complex layers of this story and the lessons that this experience has taught me.“Tis a xmas I will never forget finding your partner dead peacefully in bed first thing in the morning. I will never stop missing you xx” – Fadi Fawaz
Why am I doing this blog? That's a good question! This blog writer can only say it's because I do want to help heal the pain which has caused the divide between Michael's fans. My unabashed and fresh point of view may shed a different light on the issues that have caused such strife. Opening up serious discourse about the big box issues that fueled heated debates promotes evolution instead of the stagnancy associated with just sweeping the issues under a rug. George Michael would not want us attacking his former partners, family, friends and least of all each other in the manner in which we have.
Until, the next post I bid you all well and hope that you'll continue on this journey with me. xx
Writer's personal request: Please keep George Michael's family, friends and fans in your thoughts and prayers as Sunday, June 25, 2017 marks what would have been George's 54th birthday. It will now mark their 1st birthday without him. (George's 1st in heaven)
