Jesus and Elvis remembered

Elvis memorial at Las Vegas Hilton

Flying into McCarren I noticed someone had decorated a large empty filed by moving the dirt and rocks around, and adding some paint to write the name Jesus. It was large enough to be visible thousands of feet up in the air. 

Rolling my bag into the Hilton Hotel, I noticed flowers, notes and candles were placed at the foot of the Elvis statue, which greets visitors to place where he married, performed and lived decades ago.

What compels a person to write the name of someone who lived two thousand years ago?  Someone with whom they never met in person shared text rants or spoken with by phone? What did Elvis have that inspires people, who surely never met, or shared a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich with the man, to commemorate his death annually for the past 32 years?

Yes, there are parallels: Both men came from meager beginnings, grew up to be called “King”, were known for their choice in clothing, and both made spectacular comebacks.  But, it’s their generosity that set them apart, and ultimately lead to their early deaths. One for trying to help others, the other for his inability to say no to the chemical “help” offered by others.

This leads to the week’s question for couples:

How do you think you and your partner will be eulogized? What qualities do you think you or your partner posses that will make you memorable?

Carrie Bradshaw life-swap

Dreaming of a life-swap with Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw? According to Parade Magazine’s Pop Culture survey, the neurotic New Yorker took the top spot with 43% of women clamoring to walk in her Manolo’s for a day. Let’s see now, these women chose to live like the woman who, led on a perfectly decent man (Aiden) pathetically wearing his engagement ring around her neck instead of her finger, managed her finances so poorly that she risked becoming homeless had it not been for the charity of a friend, and became a home-wreaker chasing after a man (Mr. Big) that deemed her good enough to bed, but not wed. Yes, they did get married later, but not until he married someone else, committed adultery, divorced, and humiliated the enviable Ms. Bradshaw by spectacularly jilting her at the alter. What a catch.

Television has a way of glamorizing lives no matter how horrific. Done right and smartly cast (think Johnny Depp) a show could have you sympathizing with Jack the Ripper. Need I mention Showtime's series Dexter?  I’m sure the movie Titanic caused some dreamers to wish they could go back in time and sign up for voyage. 

Orson Wells’ infamous broadcast of War of the Worlds taught us years ago that many people can’t see the line between fact and fantasy. With reality programming becoming the norm, the line has become close to invisible.

I’m sure if the Carrie wanna-bes’ could actually live the columnist’s life for a day they would find it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.  The next 24 hours would probably involve stressing over a deadline, fighting the urge to smoke, worrying whether the spark with Mr. Big has waned, and trying to find time to meet with her friends who are all “too crazy busy” to make time for lunch. Personally, I’d rather spend 24 hours doing yard work.

Which leads to this week’s questions for couples:

• Do you or your partner fantasize about living someone else’s life with out knowing all the details? Are either of you attracted to a lifestyle seen on TV that, once taken off the screen isn’t as attractive?