Interrupting Scheduled Posts: Davy Jones is Dead



David Thomas Jones
30 December 1945-29 February 2012

It is the worst text I've gotten in my life. And the only one that is worse will be the one that says Spock is reached his optimal life span. We do this thing at work that we call Celebrity Death Watch. And we only do it because once in a while I get on a roll and can call them well before they pass. I did not see this coming. There was a bit of a scare this morning with Matze. But that was a false and unfounded rumor. And I was a little nervous because I have a friend who is going under the knife today. But I thought that my world of Heroes and Inspiration was safe. I thought wrong.

Davy Jones, the cute Monkee [don't even argue cause I'll win] died today. I can barely see through my tears to type this. I'm trying to find something humorous to cheer myself up. All I've come up with is the fatefulness of the day: the last day of the shortest month or a leap year, an encore day. It is not even a well crafted joke. And it is not helping.

My heart hurts so badly right now. It's been years since I have had to have an imaginary friend to console me after a rough day on the playground or to remind me to keep my chin up when the home life got tough. And he was the person that my child-like mind latched on to for support. Spock was the one I aspired to be. But Davy was the one that made everything okay. I can not tell you why, exactly.

I could guess with what I know about psychology: Davy was an adult. With his pint sized stature and impish charm, he was the only one I trusted to tell me that things would be okay. He seemed young enough to understand what I was going through but old enough to know it really would be better. And the persona he had on the Monkees TV program really made him seem like an angel.

When they took on the hard luck cases and the tough-skinned antagonist, it was Davy's warmth and charisma that won everyone over. No matter who's idea it was to champion a cause, it was Davy who was the last one to give up. I am thinking of a Christmas episode in which a young boy grew up too fast and was a mini miser at a very young age. Mike wanted to make his Christmas better and brought him home to show him a good time. But by the midpoint of the show they were all frustrated enough to give up on the kid. But not Davy.

I could relate to that little kid. And that is how, I think, Davy got into my psyche as a guardian angel. My first celeb crush was also my imaginary friend, my best friend. And my best friend is gone now.

http://youtu.be/U7_vvrc8TIU        I heard this song from my bedroom one Saturday morning. As soon as I heard his voice I made a beeline for the TV. And this song has been with me since then. Listen. Really listen. This should be the anthem for all the kids who hurt. It kept me sane. And alive. Because when I thought about giving up and giving in I would hear this in my head. When my life choices were doubted, I'd repeat to myself "I know the place where I am going. And the place where I am going is just around the bend."