Outside Reality




"...just for one day..."


We arrived at Pearson Airport in Toronto with no hassles. Everything was running smoothly. As we were standing in line to check in we had realised that we had forgotten our Bowie tickets at home in Grand Bend. Surprisingly enough we didn't panic and we had called my wife's mother to see what she could do to get the tickets for us. A plan was in the works and the tickets would be couriered to us in Milan. We said our goodbyes to our friend who had wished us well and we were ready to board the plane to start our journey to Italy.

We arrived in Milan only to find out that there was an important exhibition going on and that most of the hotels would be booked. So we walked the streets and came across Hotel Aurora. They were very nice people who owned the hotel and made sure that we were taken care of. The concert was in two days... would we get the tickets in time?

It was the day of the concert. We had asked the front desk where the forum was and they had told us that it was far out of the heart of Milan where we're staying. So we called the Forum and found out that the tickets had arrived there. Now all we had to do was get to the Forum.

It was only two subway stops and a bus ride there. When we got there the next struggle was finding out where the tickets were without missing the concert. Thank God that we got there early. We had gotten our tickets and entered the forum. It was so amazing. So much freedom. We had found that in Italy the people there just loved life. So it would be quite a concert. We found our seats and sat down to watch the Dandy Warhols play. We had made some friends behind us. They took a picture with us as a memory of being at the concert. We had some problems finding the right seats and after moving three times we had finally settled and could enjoy Bowie. I didn't know what to expect from Bowie. The only thing that I had to go on was all the concerts that I had seen on video. My wife hadn't known Bowie's music all that well so this would be new for her as well.

The introduction music had begun, the lights dimmed and Bowie and the band hit the stage. I was in shock that I was really seeing him. He just blew us away. The minute he walked onto the stage he filled the entire forum with his presence. His voice was mesmerizing. His sexuality was radiant. He charmed us by his wit like a snake charmer luring us with his angelic razor sharp voice. Hearing 'Under Pressure' with Gail was so powerful. The trance-like beats of 'I'm Afraid of Americans' pounding like a mantra into our minds. The one song that was the ultimate anthem for the entire world was "Heroes". When the first few bars of the melodic chords rung out it just put everyone on such a powerful connection. The entire crowd was one. Linking us all to that place where our divinity lies. To make us aware that we are worthy no matter what. That we are all loved with no conditions. No matter what happens, how big, how ever tragic, we as one are loved and can conquer anything. No fear, no worry. Evrything is ok. We may be sceptical of things, we may not see the truth all the time, but there is hope.

Bowie is truly a brilliant man. There are so many aspects of him. Do we really have a grasp of who he really is and what he is about? When you see this truth, you are just simply taken aback. To listen to his music in its entirety is truly moving. To hear every transition that each song and each album holds is truly beautiful. This was our experience in Milan. Ever so changing. Every so moving. On the bus ride back to the heart of the city, the people were still high from the experience. They were still chanting the mantra of Bowie. How powerful that was.


Outside Reality.
05-16-2004.


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