As many of you may know, Seam and I recently attended her concert at the AA Center in Dallas last weekend. I'm not the Lady Gaga fan here, I mean I like her music but I wasn't a "huge" fan. That being said, after seeing herlive...I have to admit, I have a COMPLETELY new appreciation for her and not only as a performer, but as a person. She was absolutely unafraid to speak out, completely unafraid to accept anyone LABELED as "different" and unconditionally unafraid to make anyone and EVERYONE feel totally welcome and appreciated. Of course, the visuals of the concert and the performances were, without a doubt, certainly surreal (in a good way lol). However, her words were what I found to be so...well...comforting. Now I realize that many people have low tolerance for her style and think she's nuts, but avant garde performance has always existed, in every medium and in every decade really. It's just something new, out of the norm, that people are adjusting to; however, she's such an accepting person. I've only ever felt "safe", if you will, in those "designated" areas where it's "okay". Now don't get me wrong, I've always accepted myself, I'm comfortable in my own skin (well, ya know, except for the obvious physical flaws lol), but somehow...in a place where it's seemingly not ok to even hold the hand of the one you love, she made it...OK. It's strange how dissimilar people are and yet everyone, different from him or her-self, see those people as "peculiar" or worse. Does that even make sense? I don't know, I don't care really...I've moved beyond, long ago, caring what other's think of me and my life. I was created as I am. There was never a "choice". So, ok, going back to Lady Gaga....her show was absolutely A-MAZING and I look forward to seeing her again in concert....THAT good, yes! Here is what she says about the experience...
"The Monsterball is by nature a protest: A youth church experience to speak out and celebrate against all forms of discrimination + prejudice." Of course there is profane language and inuendo used in the concert, but seriously, the same can be seen on television....ok, cable lol. I just think that she's making a difference, even if it's small, she's making a difference. Like it or not, as a society, we are evolving.
Oh and enjoy these crappy videos from the concert lol...they're either out-of-focus or Seam was dancing, either way, you get the gist.
Today, we take time to celebrate our nation, our freedom, our democracy and, ultimately, the birth of the United States of America. I'm proud to be from this country, I'm proud to say I'm American. With that, I post this video, a beautiful song set to beautiful images of our nation and those that continue to protect us and keep us free. Let us never forget our forefathers, who had a vision of a nation free from persecution, where everyone is an equal and all those lives lost so that we may live in a country of freedom....
This song, I believe, was written following the events of 9/11, a day and time we will ALL remember. We will ALL remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard of this tragedy. Yet, the American spirit continues to endure. It's what this great nation is all about. We will always remember and continue to forge ahead.
