Why is that we are so ok with saying, “Well, I am only human?” Think of the people who don’t equate themselves to the human ordinary. They are the greats. The ones who you would never just hold to the human standard of “role model,” but who you would give the title of superhero. David Bowie once said, “I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human. I felt very puny as a human. I thought, ‘Fuck that. I want to be superhuman.'” He knew his unordinary superhero-like amazing artistic capability. And yesterday, the world bid farewell to Bowie as the life-changing, future-shaping hero he was. He died after 18 months of fighting cancer. His long-time producer Visconti said yesterday, “His death was no different from his life – a work of art.” His death came right after the release of his new album “Dark Star,” which I had downloaded the morning it was released. It was, as Bowie said, “his parting gift.”

Let’s not humanize Bowie by saying he died. Let him be the man living among the stars in his silver piped Alexander McQueen jumpsuit, fulfilling his dream of Ziggy Stardust. It’s not far out. Switch on the tv. Look out the window, I can see him sparkle. And cancer, it’s symbol is only a crab, just another constellation in his vast sky. That’s not the symbol of some of the best music the world has ever seen and, I expect, will ever see. Cancer is an illness almost synonymous with death. And death like Bowie inhabits the art world. A body, once an alive, living, breathing thing, now dead, is still. But for a reason more hyper-sensitive than that, death is the one thing that humbles all of us into being ordinarily human. Yet David Bowie, although like the rest of us will one day become, dead, he never let the public into knowing of his very human condition. He refused to spend his days as anything less than a lifetime of artistic dream. He always evoked the kid looking into his one green and one blue eyed face with a gaping mouth saying “wow.” Our younger selves idolize pop stars and have celebrity crushes, and at some point along the way, whether it was your 5 year old self watching “The Little Mermaid” repeatedly or now you knowing all of the words to every Kanye song there is, you trip backwards into your childhood self. And don’t worry, you are the cool kind of kid: the one who looks up to but also hangs with Iron Man and all your well-dressed imaginary friends as equals. I am going to let you in on a secret. Who you look up to are more than clichéd role models. They are your super heroes. Your super-heroes are the ones who inspire you your whole life. They’re your ultimate adult imaginary friends who you will someday fulfill your dream of meeting. And David Bowie will always be more than some still life display. He will be the voice of a multi-generational anthem, the ultimate fashion icon, and one of the greatest visionaries. Thank you for being my super-hero David Bowie.

xoxo,

Cecilia Roses