Idols are really symbols that have a deep meaning that is only understood personally. While an idol may have a life of its own, it’s not possible to be the idol or participate in its experience of life.
David Bowie is one more idol of mine and countless others, that has left to move on somewhere else. Much will be written about him in the next few days. For me, he was a symbol of something that I chose from time to time, to give my attention to. He is a memory trigger of happy times, great people and incredible memories of my life. Whether that be driving to Cornwall listening to kooks with my then best friend Mike in my late teens, or feeling strong as I listened to Heroes in my car in Houston, TX, or, wondering about the greater meaning to life as I listened to Thursday’s Child at home. Every song evokes a memory, an undercurrent of moments in my life – feelings and emotions of times long past and long gone. I’m sure many people experience the same Bowie magic as they listen to the songs and evoke some aspect of themselves in the process.
Music is magical. Music strikes a chord with one’s inner self and resonates with the soul. Musicians are magicians that can coax and evoke these soul feelings within us. Bowie was a worker of great magic. Whoever he was, whatever he was, is actually irrelevant. It’s how he and other musicians/magicians touch our souls that counts.