Great thoughts, Kathy! I didn’t think of Dorien Gray. He also reminds me of a warped Peter Pan — where the youth thing ain’t working after all, you know?

You are so right about Prince and Madonna. They adapted. Not that Madonna’s outfits, etc, on stage at 50 reflect her age — but still, she looks naturally fit, not cosmetically enhanced.

Maybe Jacko was wacked out by the child stardom thing. Who knows? But I think it’s a sad, sad decline. Once, he really was a genius. Now, he’s a guy whose isolation, oddness, and surgeries only make him stand out as a freak.

Interesting comparison, Lynn. I think of MJ as Dorian Grey, the man who gave everything to remain young, and met an unfortunate end. Is there a lesson for all of us here? Indeed there is. No matter what you do to your outer shell, what you are inside will always shine through.

Times like these make me sad. MJ’s videos were hip, on the edge. I remember watching every one of them and being mesmerized by MJ’s genius.

Look at Prince and Madonna. They’ve survived growing older with class. Prince is the all time classic artist, a genius of unique proportions. He’s got it all. He can write music, lyrics, play any instrument known to man, dance, sing, and entertain like there’s no tomorrow. He’s done it all on his terms and he’s never sacrificed himself to do it.

Good lesson for all of us. A good lesson for writers too.