I am sad today—the world has lost a legend.

More than a musical genius and icon, David Bowie was a chameleon who never feared making ch-ch-changes whenever he needed to. He may not have been a hippie but, in his own way, he was a worthy role model for living the mindful life.

“I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human. I felt very puny as a human. I thought, f*** that. I want to be a superhuman.”

He was fearlessly himself, always expressing what needed to come to the fore for him at the time—even if the times weren’t yet ready for it. Not afraid to be a misfit, a rebel (rebel), a deviant—completely out there—his creative self expression gave permission to others to be unashamedly themselves.

“Gentleness is everywhere
Fear’s just in your Head
Only in your Head
Fear is in your Head
Only in your Head
So Forget your Head
And you’ll be free.”

It was Let’s Dance that first brought Bowie onto my radar, but it was his older stuff that made me love him. As soon as I heard the news this morning, I reached for Hunky Dory and—unsurprisingly—as I listened tears kept springing to my eyes.

What an amazing lyricist he was!

I remembered a time—a Friday night in the summer of 1990 (I think)—when a friend (also a fan) and I almost stumbled into a secret David Bowie gig in the Baggot Inn in Dublin. Well, we did wander in, but the venue was jam-packed and we had no clue as to who was playing (did I mention, it was a secret gig?). It was hot and uncomfortable and we decided to leave. The next day, we heard what we had missed out on. We’ve often lamented that, as we do again today.

I have yet to check out Blackstar, the album he released two days ago on his 69th birthday. Had I known he was so sick, I would not have been so tardy. But today, I’m going to take comfort in his back catalogue.

Here’s just a small sample of his amazingness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgcc5V9Hu3g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9yn3mH77xA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbnJo88kuP8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqKOQOn8_Ic

Relephant:

We Didn’t Just Lose a Musical Hero, We Lost a Rebel.

A Part of my Youth Just Died: RIP David Bowie.

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**Relephant bonus: “That time David Bowie almost became a Buddhist monk…”

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Author: Hilda Carroll

Editor: Yoli Ramazzina

Photo: Cranioddsgn.deviantart