Starman

I started writing this on Friday 8^th January after listening to Bowie’s latest and ultimately, final studio album.

Blackstar is beautiful understated piece that resonated perfectly on Friday, Saturday and Sunday but now as his death is announced on Monday it takes on a whole different meaning

Where on earth do you begin?

I have been happy to drift along in this world because of Bowie.

He was an outsider, an outcast, a weirdo, a stranger, a freak and he made it cool.

Not only did he make it cool, he made ‘cool’ accessible to the biggest collection of outsiders, outcasts, weirdos, strangers and freaks. He gave us a voice.

I say ‘us’ because as a kid, I never felt completely accepted by a particular set or group of people. I was never bullied or repressed but I certainly hung around with groups of people that had some first-hand experiences of both.

And now he’s gone.

Of course it doesn’t change my day to day life and the majority of people will go around as normal, unaffected.

And for them that is fine. But for some reason, I feel an incredible loss.

I never knew the man; I never met him, so why am I crying as if it’s a family member

I’ll try to explain a possible connection.

None of my friends are normal. Whatever you think is meant by normal let me give you my definition

Normal: The everyday, the same as everything/everyone else – not different

Normal is absolutely fine and a very comfortable safe place to be, but it’s never been for me.

My friends are a unique bunch of individuals. They dress how they want, live how they choose and delight in being different and enjoy crushing stereotypes; I know gay men that are massive football fans, straight men that wear make-up and all other barrier breaking lifestyles

But beyond all of that tangible difference is the fact that they are all creative and passionate. They find comfort and Zen in their lives when they are being themselves fully and most openly in a creative way.

Actors, directors, writers, dancers, singers, musicians, magicians, comedians, photographers, CEO’s and teachers

I know a huge array of people from all walks of life, all colours, religions, beliefs, genders and persuasions and my life is better because of this. I feel like a more rounded human for having access to all these different ideas on life, death right and wrong. My friends make me see that no one has the monopoly on good ideas or the final answer.

I genuinely believe that Bowie had a hand in this. He gave people the idea that individuality was perfectly acceptable and that difference is the new normal.

He was open and direct all his life.

In my experience and life, he has been some form of middle ground.

He has always been there.

Flicking though my social media sites, today, I come across my friends’ favourite Bowie’s tracks and individual memories, and it as diverse as it is beautiful. From the earliest to current, from biggest hit to obscure B-sides, it’s all there.

He touched these individuals and gave them confidence to be themselves, to try new things, to walk in their own footsteps, to have fun, love, passion and commitment in all you do. And that you can do anything what you want to do and be anything you want to be. There are no rules.

That's the kind of message I was given as a child and Bowie was the originator who showed us it could be done

To David Bowie, Thank you, you made it cool to be different and even more: you made difference cool.  

To my Dad, Thank you, you were integral in the music of my upbringing and adolescents, you gave me Bowie 

To all of my friends who have been online today with alternate Bowie tales; all of them have different favourite moments. I have reviewed each and every one of them. These and the posts by The Who, Boy George and other Bowie advocates have bought me to tears today.

I don’t quite know what to make of the world without Bowie. I, for one, will try to shine brighter, try harder and reach further than I did before.

'We are juvenile delinquent wrecks'