madonna makes the people come together

my friend alyson invited me to the madonna concert here in boston last night. i, not one to turn down a good show, much less a madonna show, agreed to go. al is probably not the biggest madonna fan in the world, but she definitely appreciates the woman for what she is: an icon.

my sister and i, a fan of reinventions of our own, refer to madonna as the queen of reinvention. and last night, further cemented that belief. madonna's show couldn't have been more different than the one i saw on her confessions tour in 2006, and as i think about, i wouldn't expect anything else from her. while playing the old fave, "vogue," the stage and side screens were splashed with visions of madge throughout her career. madge channeling her inner marilyn, madge exercising her power as a dominatrix, madge dressed as a geisha. the images went on and on, displaying her different hair colors, eyebrow shapes, styles and smiles over the decades. needless to say, it was clear to see why this woman has remained at the top of an unattainable level in the music industry. i often say, "in my next life..." and follow it with certain fantasies of mine including, "i'll come back as a rock star," or "i'm going to be a trust fund baby and travel the world," etc. madonna's "next life" happens every few years. she morphs into what she is feeling, seeing, living. she changes with the times and her experiences.

"like a prayer" was one of the few throwback songs that madonna performed without the electric guitar in hand (thank goodness). i still love that song. an amazing video played in the background during these few minutes. her once extremely controversial video that previewed before i hit double-digit age status was replaced with words like "God," "religion," "love," flashing in every possible language, and some of the most amazing thoughts including "thall shall not have hate in your heart" and "thou shall love thy neighbor as thou love thyself." my personal favorite, "the lamps are all different, but the light is the same." ending the song, one line spread across the screen as the rest of the stage went black "to it we shall return."

in between my dance moves, there might have been the beginning of a tear or two. looking around, i noted all the die-hard fans, the so-so fans, the guys, girls, men, women, young, old, people of all races, classes, religions, sexualities...just, every type of body. they were all there. singing, dancing, laughing. being moved by music, politics, religion, art. being moved by her.

30 or 50; divorced or married; sticky or sweet; confessing on the dance floor or on la isla bonita; a material girl, like a virgin or a like a prayer, but always expressing herself, however you want to put it - it was evident that madge had done it again. last night, and always really, whatever every one's "it" may have been, madonna's music had made the people come together.

just like autumn leaves, we're in for change

lately, each day has been welcoming me into my favorite time of year. the sun shines through the most vivid colors that stretch up to that fall-blue sky, and the air is crisp. while it's not home, there's no denying its beauty and charm, and i have to admit, i've begun to fall in love with new england. all bright and glowing, the leaves and the way they look against the river, parks, even the city, are enough to keep me distracted from other things that sometimes cloud my mind. i'm enjoying these days, my true fall. i find myself wanting to slip on a thick chunky-knit sweater with tall leather boots,and head off to an apple orchard, or a pumpkin patch, or simply just stroll through the harvard campus. so far, i've only done the latter.

it's sister's favorite time too. we share our love for the change. knowing that we experienced a change just three years ago at this time that got us to where we are now. that fall, in 2005. with one loss, we gained so much.

then again, in 2006. the last few years and all its outcomes have stomped my fear of change. changing the part of my hair, having to give away my favorite shirt or losing my favorite earrings i've had for years...anything that broke routine used to throw me off. so unlike every other aspect of myself, it was the one thing about me that i knew i needed to change. and that, in itself, was scary. but time took care of that for me. as did the reconnection with my sister and meeting eric. but mostly, i began not just accepting, but taking charge of, who i was becoming. i woke up one morning unafraid of what might come if i got out of bed on the "wrong" side. now, accepting change is a part of my daily life and because of all it has offered me, i wouldn't have it any other way.

for you, here's a glimpse of my view: