The Album: She's So Unusual Cyndi Lauper
The Story: Honestly, I bet this is a story told by a lot of weird kids from the '80s. I saw the video to "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and it altered my personal zeitgeist. There were a lot of videos out at this time, but this one was the first (to me) that really showed a woman as the subject of the video in terms of just being a person. It wasn't a love song, it wasn't a 'lost a love' song, it wasn't a 'I'm trying to be tough and sexy' song. It was a song about wanting to just be yourself and, as the children say these days, be living your whole life.
Of course, there were love songs on the album. "Time After Time" is classic and beautiful. It's also one of those songs that can be applied to all love, not just romantic situations. "He's So Unusual" and the way she covers Prince's "When U Were Mine" both suggest the frustrating pain of being deeply in love with boys who like boys and given my future love life that was probably a good lesson to digest at an early age.
Cyndi has a stunning voice and energy for days. She also had a very exciting style, one that was shocking and unconventional and beautiful all at once. It intrigued me and I knew I was right about this after my mother's husband commented that Cyndi 'could be pretty' if she would 'take care of herself' and 'look like a normal woman.' Yes, bastard, so long as she looks like the thing that doesn't make you uncomfortable, you're good. He truly was the perfect example of everything to avoid in life.
Thank you to: My dad, for loving Cyndi as much as I did and singing the songs with me.
The Lesson Learned: I knew this one anyway, but sometimes it helps to be reminded. Your life is about YOU. Your story is about YOU. Other people may play significant roles in it, but your experiences are the ones that you should emphasize. That doesn't mean be a total self-centered sociopath, but at the same time, live in your moments.
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