RIP Prince
I know it’s true. I continue to see it – Robin Williams, Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, and now Prince. The true geniuses leave our world too early. They make a defining exit. But while others will be mourning in Purple Rain, I won’t be. I never liked When Doves Cry or Purple Rain. Yes, you can tell me that’s sacrilege. You can tell me I’m not a true fan. You can tell me I’m not a child of the 80’s, but you’d be wrong. I liked him for the fun. And for that, I will only speak of fun!
Prince made me smile.
Although I shook my head a LOT, it still made me smile that he wore more make-up than me, higher heels than me, and more ruffles than me, but damn, could he sing!
At 12:01am January 1, 2000, I smiled when I finished screaming Party Like it’s 1999 at the top of my lungs standing in Arthur’s bar alive and having survived Y2K with friends I still have today.
I smiled when I called him Tafkap. For every lawsuit he won with tafkap or The Artist Formerly Known as Prince and every joke I made about it, I loved him more.
I smiled when I realized he was a Minnesotan and neighboring Midwesterner willing to put on free concerts for his “homies” at Paisley Park. Midwesterner nice, baby!
For every song on his greatest hits album that I car-danced to in my little white tank top in my 20’s, I smiled for all the truck drivers to see and l loved him more.
I smiled when I blasted Peach in my car bouncing my way home from work to my single apartment with its dirty words and feel-good-about-yourself beat.
As a mom learning to say “sheesh” and “dang it” instead of what I really want to say, I still worship his way with words. For every dirty lyric, I loved him more and smiled more.
Truly, it makes me smile every time Raspberry Beret comes on the Oldies station despite the fact that it makes me old and despite the fact that I know I will have to fight my non-Prince-loving husband that I married in spite of that tidbit of info.
And to this day, I smile when I hear (and, of course, sing poorly) Little Red Corvette because I have flashbacks to staying up late to hear it on the radio on the Top 10 at 10 so I could tape it on my recordable cassette tape.
But mostly, I smile because after having been unable to get my mind focused enough to start blogging again, the words came out on the paper for a man who, even in his death, managed to inspire me.
I smile because Prince would have wanted me to.
Thank you, Prince, for that. And thank you for leaving a mark on my youth.
There will never be another like you…
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Got any fave Prince songs I missed? Got any stories of things you associate with Prince? Want to argue my points (go ahead, but I’m always right)? Let’s hear what you have to say. It’s been too long since I did.
Bolton Carley's BS-O-Rama 
Kristine
Thank you for sharing those memories. Seems like I have some of those too. However, never tagged him with TAFKAP, that’s a good one! Good to see you, Ms. Bolton, by the way.