Well, it looks like Mubarak is in no hurry to step down. But I am eager to say more on the subject of the Worldheart of Gaga and the upcoming performance of Born this Way.
I truly believe that Gaga has taken the whole world into her heart, that she genuinely cares for all people. This has been apparent in the way she champions causes that are important to her, from attending events to raise awareness for Earth Day, to fashion statements against fur, to recently working to overturn DADT, and more than I can mention off the top of my head. I do not think her activism is limited to American issues - protecting the earth and environment for instance, is something we all need the world over - but she will focus on what is dear to her. Gaga, like so many people today, has access to information from all over the world, but she also has fans all over the world and I feel a genuine closeness with her and I think they do too, and she with us. In this way I think she is even more aware of things around the world, in a personal way, because of people who connect with her who are living through events in different places. We can all be this way, however. If someone has a pen pal in another country, they may have special sympathy for things they hear from their friend, even if they met the pen pal randomly. I have about 100 people I know from high school and friends and family whom I am friends with on facebook, but I have 600 friends so far who are little monsters, all over the world, speaking many different languages. This is just a social media phenomenon, and the result of Lady Gaga's influence, especially on the net and on the youth. When I say her influence I mean both the fact that she is "Queen of Twitter/facebook" and her influence on her fans - the love she gives and the need people have for love drives us to seek each other out and support one another, which become easy as we use her pictures and names on our profiles. I have a picture she sent out on twitter of her holding her "perfect birthday present, a communist red teacup" and I use the nickname Alejandrew Puffin Paparoxy, for example. Social media can be powerful and useful in many ways, to spread awareness mostly, but it is also a way for revolutions to organize, as recent events have shown, and the revolution I am witnessing amongst little monsters, thanks to Gaga, is a revolution of the heart, a new way of loving.
I say that everyone can take the world into their heart and "save" it by saving themselves, by allowing themselves to be saved in the process of aligning their heart with the world. By committing to responsibility for the well-being of all people, with no favoritism or prejudice, we take the world into our hearts. I beleive Gaga does this - she is feeling what the world needs with the inspiration for her music, and giving us an example of a new way to relate in the way she uses the media and shows us all such wonderful love. I think we are all capable of this great love - and seeing what an influence Gaga has, as one person with many others using their creativity to make everything possible for her and the history of so many others in the same spirit who came before her, can make us all realize our potential. I just had a delicious boiled egg. This process of aligning with the world and taking it all into our hearts is both simple and complex, immediate and ongoing. I am reminded of Mubarak and how it has seemed so close that he would resign, yet he hangs on. It really is a good fable to describe the ego, were it not real events with real consequences. Sometimes we need bold action, to be strong to stand up for what we believe in, and to take the streets and march for a change, as it looks like the people in Liberation Square in Egypt are preparing to do to go to the presidential palace. I hope the little monsters are never faced with having to march out from the monster ball for a cause, but I can see it happening. Instead, I am pleased at the amount that could be accomplished with a Party - keeping in mind the spirit earlier this evening when it looked like the million people gathered in Cairo were just going to celebrate Mubarak's resignation and then after this turning point things would improve. I was pleased with this possibility- I had actually predicted the change would come today to coincide with Gaga's performance of Born This Way until I found out I had the date for the Grammy's wrong, it is Sunday, not Thursday, and I went back and edited the blog accordingly. I still thought she would have something to say about it, just as Obama mentioned in his speech to students in Michigan today that it was young people leading the change there and we would support them. Now that Mubarak is trying to stay around, I am afraid they will throw him out in the next two days, but if he lasts until Sunday I suspect Gaga could have a message about it then.
Either way, explicit or not, Born this Way is a message for change, freedom, and acceptance. I have read the lyrics and it is perfect for the times: we really need to appreciate each other and we are living with a status quo that generally does not value all people for their differences. That needs to change because we were all born this way. While Egypt is a very vivid, lively example of the peoples' need to have respect and freedom and well-being, and hopefully the main trouble will be over there with a major transfer of power in the next days, but after that there will be work to be done, there and all over the world, that can only be accomplished with caring for all people and a willingness to respect diversity - no, a passion to respect diversity. I am reminded of a news story about recent photos released of "uncontacted" tribes in south america, estimated a half million people with very little contact with the modern world, whose lives are threatened by logging. This has been a problem for decades and it is not solved yet - but on the other hand I heard a report today that a company quit logging in Indonesia after ongoing pressure from environmental groups. It is a struggle in this world, but we can make life better for all if we engage it and do what we can. Gaga has remade the world for me by inspiring me to live fearlessly to my full potential. I love the alignment that is taking place between my heart and the world that I am openly recognizing this in this blog as I watch events unfold in Egypt where, with hope and luck, people's fearless efforts to make their country the best it can be, will be rewarded with a bright future. I'm looking forward to the next few days and the change it will bring!
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