Tuesday Tunes: Whitney Houston’s “One Moment In Time”

Editor’s Note: Song lyrics denoted in bold italics.

We all have those moments in pop culture history that stand out in our minds. Something monumental happens, and you forever remember where you were when it happened.

For me, one of those moments is the death of Whitney Houston. It was February, just before the Grammy Awards, and I remember it being one of those times you just can’t believe is happening. Here was one of the greatest singers of all time gone far too soon. Her music seemed to transcend everything and every single song held a special place in my heart. These songs? They reminded me of my childhood and those good old days.

Whitney Houston’s “One Moment In Time”
From 1988 Summer Olympics Album

Whitney’s words and voice were pure gold. They were like anthems for the soul and I’m pretty sure everyone has one song that speaks to them — you know, the kind that towers above the rest. Whether it has special meaning, makes you happy or brings you to tears, it’s the type of song that you play at full blast WHENEVER it comes on the radio.

And for me, so many of her ’80s classic take me right back to — you guessed it! — my hospital days!

Each day I live
I want to be
A day to give
The best of me
I’m only one
But not alone
My finest day
Is yet unknown


I broke my heart
Fought every gain
To taste the sweet
I face the pain
I rise and fall
Yet through it all
This much remains

Maybe it’s only fitting that I write about this song now, seeing as how the Rio Olympics are coming up and this song was featured prominently in the 1988 Summer Olympics! I mean, everyone needs an anthem, right? This song — it became my anthem from the first time I heard it. I’ve always lived by the motto that people are doing the best they can in life. We may struggle, get knocked down and have the wind knocked out of us, but we always find a way to get up again. Something — motivation, determination, a supernatural force — moves us to GET UP OFF THE FLOOR and keep trying. That’s really the essence of the human spirit, don’t you think? Because as people, we want to do better. We want to be better than we were before. We want to live better than past generations. We want to make an impact and leave our mark so when we’re no longer on this earth, people will still know that we were here. We want future generations to look back at us and say, “Yes, they were here. They made a difference in the world.”

I want one moment in time
When I’m more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me
Give me one moment in time
When I’m racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will feel
I will feel eternity

During my hospital days, especially, I’d always looked forward to that one day when I was “just me.” Granted, those days weren’t altogether bad, but I always got the feeling that someday, I’d be free, just like Whitney’s song describes. To be able to shed those shackles that I felt were holding me back was such an appealing prospect. In a way, I’m not sure that hunger and drive to be free ever truly leaves us, though. We’ll always be fighting something, striving to do better and make positive changes that will get us to the exact place we want to be. Sure, it may take us some time, but that certainly doesn’t stop us from trying. Every single day. We try as hard as we can because we know we can do it. Deep down, we know we have that strength to persevere and see it through. Some people may say that it’s futile to keep doing something and not seeing results, but I say those people are the shortsighted ones. Things do change if you give it enough time.


I’ve lived to be
The very best
I want it all
No time for less
I’ve laid the plans
Now lay the chance
Here in my hands

And maybe in the end, this song is also about learning to be comfortable with who you are — something, as you know, I haven’t always been good at. You have to give yourself permission to love yourself, you know? It’s never something that just comes naturally; it has to be won and sometimes winning it is half the battle. I know that I may not always love myself or even be happy with myself, but I’m sure of one thing: I’m NEVER going to stop fighting to be my authentic self.

We encounter so many negative people in this world, and we owe it to ourselves not to be one of those people. After all, we owe it to ourselves to be our own best friend and our own biggest fan. Don’t you agree, friends?

Tuesday Tunes: Britney Spears’ “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman”

Editor’s Note: Song lyrics denoted in bold italics.

As I’ve said before, I came of age during the HUGE teen pop explosion of the late ’90s. For anyone not in the know, this was a grand old time to be alive. It was a far simpler time, long before the modern trappings of things like the Internet and Donald Trump, and life moved at a much slower pace. As you can probably imagine, I was just as obsessed with pop culture back then — maybe even more so than today — and I easily got swept up in the bubblegum pop craze that all my fellow young people got hooked on. Christina Aguilera, Mandy Moore, *Nsync, the Backstreet Boys — they were all in constant rotation on my CD player. And yes, I’m talking about one of those classic CD players; they just don’t make them like they used to, do they?

But I digress — that’s another topic for another post. Like I said, I jammed along to the sweet sounds of that pop music and memorized all the lyrics — ballads were usually my favorite, in case you were wondering. Through it all, though, one favorite stood out above the rest…

Britney Spears’ “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman”
From Britney

Back then, there wasn’t such a thing as fandom names, but if there were, I’m pretty sure I would have been in that squad. I mean, how could you NOT love Ms. Brit? She sang. She danced. She got to be on the arms of one Justin Timberlake in a matching denim ensemble that was downright fly for its time. But more than that, she was real. It was a refreshing quality for a pop singer; it felt like she could just be one of your girlfriends — you know, the kind you hang out with on a Friday night and gossip down at the local ice cream shop. Her songs, naturally, also spoke to me. They told the sorts of tales of teenage yearning and growing and broken hearts, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’d spend hours watching her videos and singing along at the top of my lungs.

I used to think
I had the answers to everything
But now I know
Life doesn’t always go my way, yeah…
Feels like I’m caught in the middle
That’s when I realize…

It really is true what they say: Youth is wasted on the young. It’s the time of our lives and we don’t even know it. We think we know everything, though, and won’t listen to anyone who tells us differently. Never mind the fact that we haven’t exactly seen the world, but we like to think we have the answer to all the questions in the universe. What must it be like to be that self-assured? I certainly don’t remember how it felt, but it must have been comforting to feel like there wasn’t any problem we couldn’t solve or any obstacle that we couldn’t overcome. Those coming-of-age years? They were like living in a cocoon — a protective shell — that hadn’t hardened us to the world yet or made us jaded. We saw the world with such innocent eyes and fully believed that’s how we’d see things forever. I know I never envisioned a future in which I wasn’t wearing those rose-colored glasses.

I’m not a girl
Not yet a woman
All I need is time
A moment that is mine
While I’m in between

Yet as we get older, life quickly becomes complicated. We’re wrestling out of that cocoon, but we’re not a butterfly yet, so it’s not like we can exactly just fly away. We’re caught in the middle and it can be an overwhelmingly scary place to be. We’ve got time, but sometimes, time is the last thing we want. We welcome it, but also rail against it with everything we have. Even now, I still feel that way sometimes. We want to grow up, to move forward, but we’re scared. Deep down, we wonder if we can do it and we doubt ourselves. Those inner voices can get mighty loud at times — don’t you just want to tell them to SHUT UP already??


I’m not a girl
There is no need to protect me
It’s time that I
Learn to face up to this on my own
I’ve seen so much more than you know now
So don’t tell me to shut my eyes

Eventually, I suppose, we all get to a point where our confidence takes off — soars like that butterfly, perhaps?? We realize that, YES, we can do this crazy thing called life. We’ve been through a lot and don’t give ourselves nearly enough credit. We’re stronger than we think and far wiser than we may feel.

I didn’t really come to that conclusion until after my father died, and I don’t think it’s a revelation that anyone else can lead you to. It’s all part of that journey you have to walk on your own, at your own pace, in your own time. Maybe we’ll always be on the journey, and we’ll just stop at different stages in life. I sort of like to think about life in those terms, don’t you?? Sort of how we never really stop learning. We also never stop growing and learning more about who we are… xoxo

Tuesday Tunes: Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”

Editor’s Note: Song lyrics denoted in bold italics.

OK, first thing’s first: C’mon, you knew this song was going to come eventually. I mean, it was really only a matter of time before I unleashed the most greatest thing to ever happen to the decade of shoulder pads and Alex P. Keaton.

Because, you know, not to brag or anything, but I was an Astley superfan WAY BEFORE it become some sort of trendy thing to hop on the Rick Rolled bandwagon. I’m not some newly minted fan, believe you me. I fell in love with that velvety smooth voice when I wasn’t even in the double digits yet. Yes, I may have been young, but I most certainly wasn’t naive; I knew what was hip and cool back in the day! And at the top of what made Astley uber cool? Oh, just a little ditty so infectious that you practically beg it to stay in your head…

Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”
From Whenever You Need Somebody

My love affair with Mr. Astley started during the hundreds of car rides back and forth from Chicago for medical appointments. I’d be nervous about seeing the doctor and then that soothing voice would come over the car speakers. At the beginning, I had no idea just who this musical Adonis was — all I knew was that he was quickly calming me down. I was hooked from that very first day.

We’re no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment’s what I’m thinking of
You wouldn’t get this from any other guy
I just wanna tell you how I’m feeling
Gotta make you understand

Wait, what? Do men of such high caliber exist? Looking back now, I suppose I only have Astley to blame for my exceptionally high standards when it comes to finding The One, but that’s such a grand notion, isn’t it? A guy who is looking for a FULL COMMITMENT and actually putting it all out there for the entire world to see. And he’s right when he says we wouldn’t get this from any other guy. If they’re out there, well, I most definitely have not come across them yet. Maybe they’re hiding at some secret compound or something and waiting for us to make the first move? That is very 21st Century of them, so they get bonus points for that, but at the end of the day, I do wish they’d just show themselves already.

Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

Now, this is what I truly love. It all goes back to the idea of that Relationship Contract I once wrote about, and, really, there is something so downright refreshing to be said for something like this — something that takes a complicated concept like love and dating and boils it down to understandable, bite-sized bullet points. Imagine how easier everything would go if people entered in relationships with a document like this. Less confusion. Less hassle. More happiness. Everyone would be on the same page…hello, romance! Goodbye, stress! After all, Astley isn’t going to make us cry…EVER!

We’ve known each other for so long
Your heart’s been aching but
You’re too shy to say it
Inside we both know what’s been going on
We know the game and we’re gonna play it
And if you ask me how I’m feeling
Don’t tell me you’re too blind to see

What I also love? Astley isn’t just a dreamer — he’s also a realist. Not a full-on cynic or one of those Down With Love types, but he isn’t oblivious to the realities and trappings of love. Heck, even I am not immune to it. Believe it or not, I find myself playing “the game” far more than I probably should and far, far more than is probably emotionally and mentally healthy. And each time, I think I’m going to win. This is it, I’ll tell myself. I’ve got this all figured out. It’s in the bag. Every. Time. But, really, it never works all that well and I usually end up even more confused than I was to begin with, if that makes any kind of sense.

But it’s nice to see Astley addressing something like this and admitting that he is guilty of the same behavior. So maybe I’m not so abnormal after all? Maybe I’m just one of the millions of people just trying to figure this whole Game of Love thing out, one step at a time. Sure, we all may stumble and even find ourselves falling back at times, but at least we’re engaged in it and trying to make the best of a confused situation. Rome wasn’t built in a day and something tells me a solid relationship, like all great things in life, isn’t going to come easily either. It’s going to take time and work and patience. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to keep going. I’d say the fight is worth it. Wouldn’t you agree, friends? xoxo

This Vintage House Will Blow Your Mind

I’ve been to Graceland twice and each time, I’ve fallen in love with EVERYTHING about Elvis’ humble abode. The selling point for me was that the house has remained virtually unchanged since the ’70s — and it shows! The rooms and the decor are rife with vintage patterns and motifs, and, honestly, I always found something sort of comforting about that. It was a time capsule from a bygone era that you could escape to.

Well, if you’re like me, then get ready to have your mind blown! A house in Palm Springs has stood the test of time and remained virtually the same since…

Get ready…

…are you sure you’re ready?…

1969.

Yup, that’s right! The three-bedroom house is 3,350 square feet of culture and history, from the pink carpet to the floral couch to the wood-paneled den to the vibrant-colored drapes to the…bathtub in the middle of the bathroom? Hey, I guess whatever floats your ’70s-loving boat — pun intended.

How awesome is that, friends? Are you a fan? Can you see yourself living in a house like this? Or do you prefer a more modern decor? xoxo

[Via Jezebel]

Man Candy Monday.

Good morning, friends, and a happy Monday to you! It’s springtime, the weather is starting to feel beautiful and, well, I couldn’t be happier about that — though, if I’m being quite honest, that just might be an understatement! Anyway, I suppose I owe you all an apology for letting these guys slip through the Man Candy cracks all these years. After all, I was pretty in love with them during my teenage years. They’re a double dose of romantic goodness. They sing from the heart. And they just ooze foreign intrigue…

SAVAGE GARDEN!!!!!!!!!!

“Ooh, I want you…I don’t know if I need you…But, ooh, I’d die to find out…”