Re: Princess Diana
Malcolm Lawrence (malcolm@wolfenet.com)
Mon, 01 Sep 1997 21:59:35 -0700
Oklop@aol.com wrote:
> As long as I live I won't be able to find out a crossconnection between Van
> The Man Morrison and Princess D. Are you talking about the Genius who covered
> the front pages severely less than an anonymous peasent girl?
> C'mon. Come to your senses.
Crossconnection? Easy. Van Morrison celebrated his birthday the same day
(almost) that Princess Diana lost her life. The amount of publicity either of
these public figures receive(d) is moot when you measure each of their
contributions to this world. They both share(d) incredible depth, sensitivity
and compassion in their own particular ways. Trying to compare them is like
trying to compare apples and oranges...the bottom line is they both have (had)
huge hearts. I don't think that just because I'm English that this death
affects me any more than any other of the world's citizens who were as touched
by her heart as I was. Princess Diana was an absolute goddess. One of the most
powerful women I've ever seen and completely unappreciated by the creaking
dysfunctional novelty that the British monarchy has become. She really put her
heart where her mouth was and had a lot more good work to do in this world.
Much too young to go so suddenly and violently.
At the end of the day, JD Salinger and Thomas Pynchon are proving more and more
to be the sanest of us all. I side with the celebrities. Sure, if you're a
public figure you have to deal with that on it's own terms, but for all the
rest of us schmucks we cry "stalking!" at the least little suspicion. I would
assume it's very much like being stalked all the time...and not by any single
identifiable person. Just any soulless creep with a camera. And I could see
that driving one up a fucking wall. Especially if you're trying to foster any
kind of a relationship with a new person and raise two sons as well as one can
after the whole world has just seen your fairy tale marriage crumble in all
it's raging glory. We're talking a very surreal lifestyle and life that
everyone thinks they're privvy to. And, of course, if the driver hadn't been
drunk, and if everyone had been wearing seatbelts...
It is a loss to all the charities she worked for, especially the landmine work,
the work with AIDS patients, the poor, and especially children...no other
member of the British royals has used their position so effectively to try and
make a difference with ordinary folks. And THAT is why her loss is so tragic
for not just the English but for caring people everywhere, and especially now,
one full year after her divorce became final and she was just starting to knit
together a new life for herself away from the royal fiasco. I just hope the
queen loses sleep over this. For her Di represented change, specifically the
way the roles of women have changed in society this century...much too powerful
a woman to simply be content with bowing and curtsying in all the right places
at benefits with Phil Collins.
Sorry it took me so long to respond. I've been gone all weekend. I got a new
car last week and I wanted to break it in with a road trip so I went up to
Bellingham to see an old friend, brought him down to Bumbershoot then took him
back up. I just got home this afternoon.
This is a devastating loss for the world and it hurts.
Keep fighting the good fight,
Malcolm