Like a lot of you, last week I was saddened by the news of the death of Whitney Houston. A good number of us can mark various events of our lives by her music and for that I guess you could say she held a special place in our collective memory.
We mere mortals, commonly known as ordinary people, sometimes daydream about how it would feel to be rich and famous and all that comes with that rarified territory. But, as I watched the news reports I kept remembering a quote I read somewhere long ago: “Famous people die twice, first when the applause stops and then the normal death we all experience.”
Outrageous fame and adulation is something most of us never experience, but once you have tasted that sweet mixture, I’m sure it is something that is oh so hard to give up. Going to the mountain top and being known and welcomed by millions is heady stuff that is almost always accompanied by the inevitable slide down the other side.
I guess that explains why so many once famous people are eternally involved in the next big “come back”. We ordinary people can see what they can’t seem to see or understand that the applause has stopped and they must now live with the memory of their glory days.
I’ve said all that to say, Whitney Houston will always be a wonderful voice of my youth. And, I bid her a heartfelt farewell now that the applause has stopped.