Pomp, Circumstance...and a Royal Affair!!

Things have been quiet on my way to work this week.  My kids are off from school for the Easter break, so I don't have the normal banter in the car.  Its been good...time to reflect, or just blast my Sirius XM classic rock stations.  This morning, I was pondering tomorrow's nuptials of Will and Kate, and the whole Royal Affair.  My ride to work is short, so I had only about three songs to listen to on the radio.  Two songs, in great juxtaposition, filled the airwaves.  The first song was "Stepping Out" by Joe Jackson, a Brit himself.  The second song was "Pink Houses" by John (then Cougar) Mellencamp, a decidedly very American fellow.  The contrast in tone of each song was deafening...and made me wax philosophical about just WHY America is so fascinated with the Royal Wedding.

In "Stepping Out", Jackson sings of leaving the strife of the day behind...let's get dressed up in our finery and just step out for some fun.  Leave the world behind, and have a night with no arguments, no anger of the day.  In "Pink Houses", Mellencamp's tone is sarcastic.  Many have mistaken this for a Patriotic song, but it really reflects on a jaded look at lost dreams, and lower to middle class realities here in the states.

Our country is in one of its most trying periods in history.  People are without work, without food, without hope.  Our media certainly has serious issues to focus on, and it has been focused on these issues for quite some time.  Families losing homes, the budget debate, and health care reform are at the forefront of our news headlines every minute of every day.

Our fascination with what Kate will wear, or what she will be called after marriage is a natural form of escapism.  It is not surprising that our media is almost entirely focused on the wedding at Westminster.  Its a real-life fairy tale...and its part of history.  We, in the US, have no royalty to speak of, and the news headlines are often not pleasant.

When I wish to escape, I craft or read...and take myself to another world entirely.  Everyone needs an escape now and again, and sometimes entire countries need them too.  Coverage of this event has been admittedly excessive...but its nothing more than a mass outlet for the world.  A happy event to focus on is never a bad thing.

So...I might get up at 6am tomorrow to watch the ceremony.  I might trade a cup of tea for my morning coffee, and I might even throw on a (hand-made of course!) fascinator in honor of Princess Catherine.  But, I will try not to hum "Pink Houses" while I do it:-)  For an hour, at least...before the kids wake up, I will be part of one of history's fairy tales.  How about you?

                                                 (my own version of a "Kate" Fascinator!)