Happy Birthday Jim.

Today would have been Jim Morrison's 65th birthday. Who knows, maybe he IS 65 today, if you believe in those rumors that he faked his death. I personally don't buy it; Pamela Courson was too heartbroken to continue with her life after she found him in the tub. Had he lived, she would've, too. Crazy as their relationship was, it was a codependent one that couldn't be pulled apart despite the problems. I have to admit, I'm a huge Doors fan, and an even bigger Morrison fan. I wrote my senior thesis on his lyrics and were I still in school, would still be writing of the similar nature.

I don't love the idea of Jim Morrison: sex god, rock star, forever legend. I love what he represented. He wanted change, he wanted people to acknowledge their existence, think bigger in terms of their lives. I wrote a piece on him when I first started this blog, and I won't post the whole thing again, but rather bits and pieces for my own benefit of why I admire his work:

"I don't believe he was rebellious because he was angry. I believe he was rebellious because he wanted to create change. You have to remember the era he came from--the 50s, while many times depicted as Cleaver-family dinners and hula hoops with sunshine, was also full of oppression, segregation, and that little thing called the Cold War. The '60s were full of those who wanted change--for women, African-Americans, America in general. The 60s were an explosion of color, opinion, music, freedom and ideas--a modern day Renaissance, if you will.

Morrison was ahead of his time. Think of the music in that era, and then reintroduce yourself to the Doors; their flamenco style, dark sound and sex appeal. They were creating noises that could not have previously been fathomed, and those hippies just adored it. As a former radio disc jockey who wrote her senior thesis on "The End," I'd like to say I know a little bit about lyrics. In a time of Beach Boys and flower children, Morrison introduced Nietzsche, Freud, and Dionysus into his words which was absolutely unheard of. And sometimes, the hippies were too stoned out of their faces to understand, but Morrison truly wanted them to hear it, to get it. Constantly screaming "WAKE UP!" to his audiences, it wasn't about getting attention for attention's sake; it was to be heard, to understand exactly what it was that was going on in their world. He always told others they were slaves; slaves to the government, slaves to their parents, slaves to themselves, unable to break out of their boxes.

As a great poet once said, "Now is blessed the rest remembered." As in, the present, right now, is what we make of it, while history is remembered for what it is. If you don't like it, then do something about it.

And if you were wondering who wrote that brief poem--none other than the Lizard King.

"Dreams are at once fruit & outcry against an atrophy of the senses. Dreaming is no solution." -Jim Morrison"

I love that quote. Sure, you can dream. But you need to act, be brave enough to make it more than just your wishes...Because what's the point of having dreams if you never go after making them reality?

Happy Birthday Jim. I'm sorry you're not around to see the world today. Then again, maybe you'd be just as depressed as you were back then. Either way, thanks for giving me inspiration.

Speaking of which, I got the photography blog up and will start adding to it. It's on my profile page should you want to check it out.

LC.