Thoughts on The Boss

I. V.D. Clinic

I dig Bruce Springsteen. He’s The Boss. Bruce easily makes my top-ten artist list; he may even squeeze into my top five. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that the vast majority of my peers do not hold him in such high esteem. In their mind’s eye The Boss is the guy who pulled Courtney Cox on stage in the Dancing in the Dark video. They know 1984 Bruce, which is a weaker facet of a brilliant rock. This article is exactly what I’m talking about.

Due to my peer group and my friends, I used to be ashamed of my Springsteen love. I would fake gag and cast disparaging remarks at the radio if a Bruce song was playing in mixed company. I would hide my complete Springsteen CD collection when people came over. I was living a lie that was slowly eating a hole in my soul. Each denial I cast was a knife in the back of my man, Bruce.

Finally, I asked myself, “Why do I deny my fondness for The Boss?” The answer was ugly: insecurity, fear of being judged, poor self-image, and a slew of other standard adolescent issues. I realized that “Bruce = good” is an opinion just as valid as the converse, “Bruce = suck”. I was denying an insubstantial persuasion of the mind that could be proved neither true nor false. This was a distinct epiphany that turned out to be the catalyst required for my maturation to adulthood.

Now days I can shout, “Springsteen rocks!” in a crowded v.d. clinic. If I encounter opposition to my opinion I can defend my view with, “Fuck off you ignorant ass or I’ll give you hepatitis B!” See how enlightened and accepting I’ve become? Other things I don’t mind shouting in a crowded v.d. clinic:

~ I Want it that Way by the Backstreet Boys kicks ass!

~ Whitesnake rules, yo!

~ Neil Diamond can beat up your dad!

~ Huey Lewis does not suck!

~ Dude, Where’s My Car is hilarious.

~ It burns when I pee!

~ I own Rocky IV on DVD!

~ My dad is Neil Diamond!

~ Cable tv is worthless!

II. Cleaning

Bruce Springsteen is great music when cleaning the house. Neil Diamond isn’t half-bad either for housework.

III. A Wig

A while back Rach shared an interesting relationship exercise: Make a list of things that you want to do with your significant other and make list of things that you want to do without your partner. There was a little more to it than that, but that was the gist of the bonding exercise. No, I didn’t actually make a list, but it made for a fun conversation between Sherry and me.

I thought going with her —an anti-Bruce zealot— to a Bruce concert would be fun… fun for me, anyway. I think she actually swallowed a bit of upchucked puke when I added this to out verbal list. I prodded and pushed and extolled the wonders of a Bruce concert. She finally conditionally conceded under the terms that she gets to wear a wig and I can never tell anybody.
...and so it was written, shenry at 8/07/2003 01:36:00 PM.
...and so it was appended with .