How 'bout now?
I came to learn about Michael Flatley when my mother channel hopped (that's tv speak in our family for using the remote to run the channels) her way to a PBS station one evening and happened across Riverdance with Michael Flatley. It was love at first sight for her. She became obsessed with him and the show. She watched him daily and nightly, toes wiggling and tapping, as she leaned forward in her chair. She was housebound, battling Lymphoma, so there was plenty of time in her routine to watch Michael dance. I'd say she had a crush. She wore her videotape down to a nub. Everyone who visited was forced to sit through the show--she would fast forward through the singing bits of Riverdance, being a bit deaf, in order to get to the good parts--that is, Michael dancing. When we discovered Lord of the Dance, well, the excitement that caused was a somewhat unnerving.
Being a loving and considerate daughter (ahem) I got the idea that we could see this dance sensation in person--maybe even meet him back stage if we could. A quick trip to TicketMaster and I was all set with three tickets to see Lord of the Dance in Columbus Ohio. That was a short three hour drive from my mother's home in central Indiana. Sadly, she never felt well enough to make the trip. Judy and I went. My niece **Emily** used the ticket that would have been for my mom. She enjoyed hearing about the show-- and we had great seats-- but I've always regretted that her window of wellness closed that little bit too soon for her to enjoy the show in person.
I happened to be browsing on Amazon the other day and discovered a DVD of a seemingly new show by Michael Flatley. New to me anyway--I haven't exactly kept up with his career. I didn't know he still had one. I felt a little surge of excitement, though, and quickly hit the button to order it. My mother died in August of 1998, and this year I think I'll watch Michael strut his Celtic Tiger stuff and raise a glass in her memory.
By the way--that picture of Michael Flatley at the top of this entry? It's identical to the poster I bought at the Columbus show. I had that poster framed and it hangs, big as life, in the entryway to my apartment. Seriously. The workings of my mind are a mystery to me, as well.
UPDATE: My niece Emily wrote to alert me that SHE was the niece that used Gramma's ticket to see LOTD in Ohio, not Andrea. Thank goodness for the accuracy of youthful memory. In my own pitiful defense, I have seen the show three different times. Stuff runs together. I'm old-ish... I'm kind of embarrassed about this, can you tell? I guess I should call Andrea and find out if she even ever went to LOTD at all. At least if she went to it once, I won't think I'm completely senile. Maybe.
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