In loving memory of Mikio Fujioka

It’s a fact that life expectancy keeps going up with every century, yet I feel like all I hear about lately is death.



Is it the numerous deaths of famous people in recent years, or the fact that social media makes death and its exposure more relevant or visible to us? I’m not sure exactly what it is, but there is not one day I don’t wake up to a post about someone who died.

Death is a scary thing, at least for me it is. I don’t get people who claim they’re not afraid of it. I don’t know if I believe them or if I’m totally jealous of them. No matter what, death is not something that is easy to talk about.

There is a huge taboo around the topic of death in conversation. I always feel that if I talk too much about death, I will die young, but it’s mostly the unknown about death that makes it so unpleasant. We never know what’s gonna happen, or who’s gonna go next, and nobody really knows what happens after we die.

Why are some taken at an early age? Why do some get to live longer? Who decides when it’s time for you to go? Is there anything you can do to prevent (or rush) your due date?

We all think about these things.

As a teenager, I was obsessed with death. Death constantly occupied my mind as it seemed to always be around me. I have experienced a lot of death in my life, starting at a very young age. Some people I knew killed themselves, some died in weird accidents, some died from drugs, and one good friend died right in front of me in a tragic accident. Death was always there. Hard, surprising, scary, and misunderstood.

I never got people who chose to kill themselves, I was even upset with them sometimes. They say that people who choose to kill themselves are people who feel pain they cannot tolerate anymore. The more I grew up, the more forgiving I became to those people who chose that path. The honest truth is that we can never know what goes on in someone’s head. We don’t really know what someone else feels. It took me a long time to figure out that just because I’m strong doesn’t mean others are too. Just because I can tolerate a lot of pain doesn’t mean that others can. We all have different inner lives, and all I can do is to somehow try to offer support, inspiration, and strength to others by spreading this toughness I have, or offer other ways to deal with worries, pain, and insecurities. That’s why I decided to be more public, which is something that doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m hoping that by putting my work and words and positivity out there, it might help someone out there to be more optimistic and strong as well.

Look, death is a part of life. And death makes me appreciate life even more. Death reminds me that life is short, even when you get to live a long life. I know there are all kinds of problems in the world, and we don’t all share the same ones. Some have more financial problems than others, some have health issues, some have lots of unfortunate things happening in their lives they have no control over. Everybody has difficulties and problems, but I’m trying offer some relief or some positivity to hang on to in times of need. Positivity can get us through a lot of things. Hey, we are still here, so why not make the best of it?

If you have lost someone you love, try to remember the good times. The goodness and happiness they brought into your life. Memories are something no one can take away from you. I still write letters to people I’ve lost. I like to keep those I love a part of my life, even if they are no longer physically with me.

I sometimes talk to people I’ve lost. They don’t always answer, but sometimes in a weird way I can hear their advice or words of comfort. It helps me through my hard times, or when I miss them most. I try not to ask why, but it helps to remember why I loved them (and still do). Love is stronger than death.

I also find great comfort in music and listening to music I love. God (and most my friends and family) knows that if it wasn’t for John, Paul, Ringo and George, I probably wouldn’t even be here today. I’m grateful for the musicians who lived and died and left so much for us to appreciate, and for those who are still here to produce notes of joy for us to hear in times of need. Good times, sad times, and times we need a reason (or a million reasons) to be more hopeful. Music is everlasting.

Music and love is what brings us together. Music and love helps us feel more together when we feel alone.

We lost many great and important musicians in 2017. Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Chester Bennington, J. Geils, Chris Cornell, Gregg Allman, Malcolm Young, Tom Petty, and my dear friend and colleague, Mikio Fujioka, to name a few.

To them I say thanks for bringing your music into our lives, and for giving us that feeling of togetherness and hope. For guiding us through tough times with your songs. This world would not be the same without you.

Dear friends, family, loved ones, and anyone reading this: Listen to a lot of music, love the ones you’re with, don’t give up on love, and don’t give up on yourselves.

Have a great 2018, everybody!

XXX

Love, love, love

Love, love, love

Me and my friend were walking

In the cold light of morning

Tears may blind the eyes, but the soul is not deceived

In this world even winter ain’t what it seems

Here come the blue skies, here come the springtime

When the rivers run high and the tears run dry

When everything that dies shall rise

Love, love, love is stronger than death

Love, love, love is stronger than death

In our lives we hunger for those we cannot touch

All the thoughts unuttered and all the feelings unexpressed

Play upon our hearts like the mist upon our breath

But awoke by grief, our spirits speak

How could you believe that the life within the seed

That grew arms that reached, and a heart that beat

And lips that smiled, and eyes that cried could ever die?

Here come the blue skies, here come the springtime

When the rivers run high and the tears run dry

When everything that dies shall rise

Love, love, love is stronger than death

Love, love, love is stronger than death

Love, love, love is stronger than death

Love, love, love is stronger than death

Shall rise

Shall rise

Shall rise

Shall rise