This article was originally posted to my Steemit blog on February 4th, 2018.
Ah, Prince. Little man! You are missed.
So, I wish I was posting Minnesota Vikings pictures in their purple uniforms today. We are hosting the Super Bowl here in our fabulous city this afternoon, and it’s a mob scene downtown, but as you probably know our purple team came this close to being the first team to play the Super Bowl in their home state, and sadly muffed it in the final play-off game.
Anyway.
I love purple. It’s my favorite color. The pictures here are photos I took of the Prince memorial a little over a year and a half ago.
The Prince memorial
Our beloved Prince died on April 21st, 2016. Here in the Minneapolis area, the devastation was unfathomable. The world grieved, and our state went into long-term deep mourning over the passing of this phenomenal artist. I have friends who could not utter his name without bursting into tears. They can tell stories of the night they sat in a bar until 2 a.m., on a rumor that he might show up to play. And he came. And they were there.
A memorial area sprang up around his Paisley Park compound, which is a 15 minute drive from my house, out near the University of Minnesota Arboretum in Chanhassen. Prince-worshiping pilgrims came in droves. Most days you could barely drive by because the traffic was terrible. They had to designate a special parking area and put traffic cops on long-term assignment.
But one gorgeous, cool, May afternoon, I took a long lunch and strolled down along the path and under the bridge to the compound, taking pictures and feeling the feelings.
People had created artwork of all kinds, some of it childish and sweet, some of it professional quality and mind-blowing.
Balloons and streamers lined about 50 yards of fencing enclosing his property. The outpouring of love was really beautiful.
Grief is a terrible thing. It takes us by storm. But writing, creating art, and finding solidarity with others who share the same sense of loss can help us at least get started on the road to healing.
Cheers–to life, music, the arts, the color purple, and a little man who wowed us with his music.
