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would be annoyed by that word itself! Tina Fame, and had a film made about her life,
was not beautiful, she was beauty. There is said that her legacy was that she never gave
a difference. She embodied strength, power up on who she was.
and grace – qualities that are timeless I realized then that I owed Tina.
and neither feminine or masculine. Tina That I would have to keep writing and
showed us that conforming to any standard performing. That I would have to get up,
set for us and by someone else would be dust off, and keep it moving. Because what
wasting our time. Tina Turner became my we all ultimately leave behind are not our
hero. accomplishments but a path.
Then I got older and I forgot my hero. Suddenly I felt calmer knowing that my
Life happened. I got married, I moved job here on earth is to simply keep going.
countries, I started and restarted my career, To carve my path to the very end. This
I moved countries yet again, I turned 40. path may be narrow, thorny, overrun with
Then this year I turned 50. I don’t know if weeds, and ridden with potholes. It may
it’s a mid-life crisis or an existential crisis not be lined with awards and recognition
or just plain old depression but the last but if it is a path that lets one other soul
twelve months have not been easy. I have think ‘maybe I can’ then it was a path worth
struggled personally and professionally, having run, walked, and yes, on some days
telling myself on more than one occasion to crawled.
stop writing and performing. That nobody Tina Turner did not simply become
wanted to hear from some middle-aged the Goddess of Rock-n-Roll. She had to
woman who was out of touch with all overcome poverty, abuse and a host of other
things cool. setbacks. If she had allowed any of it to stop
And then right in the middle of my panic her I would not have the soundtrack to my
ridden pity party, on May 24th Tina Turner life. And unless I willfully walk my path I
died. may never find those little surprises along
I never thought she would die. I know the way. Those hidden waterfalls or the
that sounds so stupid but I really thought I views from the top of the mountain.
would be reading about her doing amazing I have decided that every day, especially
things until I died. That maybe one day the hard days, I will wake up and tell
before I turned 70 I would watch her myself to just work on my path. Who
perform. Ah the fantasies we live to regret! knows what I will encounter – perhaps a
Once I got my breath back, I went down storm, but also perhaps a rainbow. But
a rabbit hole of YouTube videos listening if I don’t beat that path daily then I was
to her songs and inadvertently reliving my never a true Tina Turner fan, I was just a
own life. I spent several days reading or tourist and I never want to be a tourist, not
watching as many interviews as I could find anywhere in this world and especially not
on the internet and of the many wonderfully in my own life.
insightful things I read or saw, one in And so, I promise myself and you dear
particular stood out. When asked what reader, that when things are ugly, painful
she thought her legacy was, this humble and hard I will simply summon Tina
woman who had won multiple Grammys, Turner and remember always that if Tina
been inducted into the Rock-n-Roll Hall Of could then I can.
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #48 | JUNE 2023 41
