Absorbtion

Things always take time to soak in. When something is spilled it immediately gets our attention and it's negative. We're either mad that we spilled it or we're mad that somebody else spilled it. Ultimately the moment passes and you can start cleaning it up. Occasionally it's a nasty product and you're left with a lingering stain. The more you look at it the more you understand it.

I hate that I'm still pondering the life and death of Amy Winehouse because all I really knew about her was gleaned from her music and public conduct. That doesn't mean I don't know about addiction. Everybody knows somebody that deals with addiction be it they themselves or an acquaintance. The side you see is only part of the picture but the addiction is overwhelming so it's a big part. The individual is medicating via whatever their particular vice is.

Winehouse was a public addict which I think made it easy for her to be an addict. Her celebrity provided the emotional and financial shelter that ultimately prevented her from hitting rock bottom. There were enough people around her to reinforce her destructive behavior. She flaunted her excess in her music and in the tabloids. This is probably what offended most people. "Normal" folk are certainly offended when the addicts in their lives refuse help. It's a slap in the face.

In retrospect, I'm more disappointed in how her story ended up than I am with her because she didn't do anything with me. While I'm sure she had her demons she also had the world at her fingertips. For every person that wants help there's somebody that doesn't and I can't feel sorry for such a person. There is a silver lining here and that's the message she sends to the young people out there. Not everybody wins.

Here's Neil. He's right about a lot of great art going down the drain.