Thursday night I posted about the Lady G Thanksgiving special on Facebook. A mom of one my former kindergarten students, who is now a teenager, commented that she didn’t get Lady G, but her son, whom I always call “my Michael”, explained it to her and she got it. She sat down with her teenage son and listened seriously to something he cared about. This doesn’t happen near enough between parents and their teens today. And that is what Lady G is all about.
She decided at 7 she was going to be famous. By age 11 she already knew she could sing and write- she just had to figure out how to get herself out there. She studied “the fame” and here we are today. How is that possible?
If you watched the special Thursday night (she produced it all herself), one message stands out. Family. The quality education her parents provided left her knowledgeable in many areas, including history and art. She has a wealth of material to draw upon to use in her music for symbolism. She knows a lot about a lot of stuff. Many of her songs are about her family members and the impact they have had on her life. During Edge of Glory she stopped to talk about writing this song about her grandfather and remembered how they made the Italian cookies (pizzelles) every holiday. She has a strong religious base – “the three men I serve my whole life are my daddy, Nebraska (close long time friend) and Jesus Christ”. She had parents who supported her uniqueness (Born This Way) and encouraged her music talent and provided every avenue she needed to be well-schooled to fully develop her skills. She was bullied for being different in high school, but because of her strong family background she took it and made a mission statement out of it and built her “fame” on acceptance and tolerance.
Yes, Lady Gaga (aka Stephanie Germanotta) is an enigma. My Michael is also an enigma. As young as five years old, his parents and I would marvel at the things he came up with. His view of the world was always a little deeper and a little different than most kids his age, but he never strayed from the things he believed in. Michael also has a huge heart that even today, as a teenager, loves, accepts , and empathizes with those who are just a bit different or less fortunate. Michael also has strong family support for whomever he chooses to become in life. Michael and Lady G have a lot in common – including the message in her song “Hair” – I just wanna be myself and I want you to love me for who I am…..” They both touch a lot of lives, including mine.
For a young person to make it in this world today, it takes a strong support system. If you have a strong family that you love and made you who you are today, be thankful. And if you know someone that is not that fortunate, maybe you could share yours. I know both Lady G and my Michael certainly would.
And so, as another day goes by, I give thanks for artists like Lady G and students like Michael that have touched and enriched my life, and ….I have written.
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