When my sister was in high school, she was smitten with one of my brother’s musician friends – a phlebotomist by day and an Elvis impersonator by night. He was obsessed with the King and dressed like him, walked like him, talked liked him and sang his little heart out like him. Christa (my sister) swooned every time he called her “little darlin’, and he was a source of unlimited entertainment at our backyard picnics during the summer months. When I was scrolling through one of my social media newsfeeds recently, I was reminded of those days as I discovered a video of Elvis singing Every Breath You Take by the Police. Since that particular song was a staple from my era, I was eager to listen to it and found myself actually liking the Elvis version (https://rumble.com/vf8rmd-the-king-is-coming-77.html) better than that of Sting! I shared this video with one of my husband’s friends who is an Elvis enthusiast and had a conversation with him regarding the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the King on 16 August 1977.  I was only six years old when Elvis died, but I was fascinated with the details he explained to me, which might lead one to believe that Elvis may not have died on that day. I was told that only two of three life insurance policies were cashed out, a ring collection that Elvis adored was missing from his belongings and that there has been no admittance to the top floor of Graceland since his death. One of the groundskeepers at Graceland had borne a striking resemblance to that of the King as well. Might he have been hiding in plain sight and living a completely different lifestyle, sans paparazzi???

I have never really been obsessed with celebrities, but I have steeped myself in a fair amount of pop culture. When I was coming of age, the “king” of my era was the King of Pop – Michael Jackson. I enjoyed his music but did not get wrapped up in his personal struggles. I lost track of him shortly after the release of his Thriller album but have read many term papers about his contribution to the music business that were written by students in my Music Appreciation class. I will never forget the day he died because, at the time, I was visiting my parents with my kitties in tow, and my orange tabby cat died suddenly at their home. I was mourning the death of Pumpkin Pyewacket when Michael Jackson’s demise was announced the following day. In my estimation, the media frenzy over his death was only eclipsed by the loss of JFK, Jr. in 1999 – a true American prince. The media coverage of the slain president’s son inspired me to read about his life and that of his family and subsequently mourn so much unfulfilled promise. I am a voluminous reader and avid bargain hunter whose home library is peppered with bargain book treasures mined at Barnes & Noble, Border’s and Walden’s. I read Christopher Andersen’s The Day John Died and The Day Diana Died while I was playing in the pit orchestra of a production of Gigi years ago. My only saving grace in the forty performances I played were the dozens of books I read while counting endless measures of monotonous music. I enjoyed the JFK, Jr. biography far more than the one about Princess Diana. I have never been intrigued by the royals and only remember the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981 because I was vacationing with my family at the Jersey shore and the coverage of the royal wedding was broadcast on our car radio and then later in the day at the motel. I thought Princess Diana looked beautiful in her gown, but the only wedding that consumed my focus and attention in that year was the fictional wedding of General Hospital’s Luke and Laura. I had become addicted to the daytime drama shortly after my sister was diagnosed with leukemia, and it provided a welcome diversion to the stress in my life at the time. I later learned that Princess Diana was a fan of the show and actually sent two bottles of champagne to Anthony Geary and Genie Francis to celebrate their television nuptials. I also remember the pictures of Princess Diana and Mother Teresa that circulated in the news shortly before Diana died, and I was struck by the fact that her heart was reaching out to children in need, much like the work of Mother Teresa. How ironic that her own children would lose such a beacon of hope in shaping their lives!

I discovered the Elvis video I posted above at the end of March, and at that time, the only king that occupied my mind and heart was the King of the Universe (Psalm 47:2), Almighty God, since Easter was upon us. My husband and I visited my family in Northeast PA on Easter weekend and got to spend some quality time with our nephew, AJ. He is 26 months old and has a personality that is bigger than life. His charisma rivals that of his Pop-Pop (my dad), as he loves people. There is a place for everyone at AJ’s table, and he takes you by the hand and leads you to the seat he has chosen for you – all in the spirit of the living Christ’s Last Supper, celebrated on Maundy Thursday. There was cause for celebration on Holy Saturday because my mom turned seventy-five years old! Her most precious gift in recent history is her grandson, and her heart has been filled with joy since his birth. AJ is our bright-eyed, bushy-tailed little smarty-pants. His wants are simple – hugs, kisses and – most of all – unbridled attention! He gets us excited about exploring new things and throwing caution to the wind. If he is asked who loves him or who he loves, he will name every person that has ever sat at his table. It is a gift to see the world through his eyes, as his presence in our lives is a long-awaited miracle. After watching Elmo on demand all weekend, I was anxious to view the children’s Easter mass video that was posted on YouTube by the priest that married Jay and me. Since many of the parish kids are staying at home because of the fear of Covid-19, Msgr. Sempa created a twenty-minute video with a childlike message (https://youtu.be/7NyxZl3L1kw). It was heartwarming to experience his creativity.

Two days after Easter, Jay and I went to the movies for the first time in over a year. We simply could not pass up the opportunity to see Jay’s favorite king – Godzilla! I had seen my first ever Godzilla film with my brother in 2014, but my husband has got to be one of the greatest Godzilla fans ever! His man-cave in our finished basement is filled with Godzilla novelty items. When Godzilla: King of the Monsters was released in 2019, we saw it on the big screen three times. Having taught digital film and video production majors, I am always impressed by the action and special effects, especially when viewing a movie in 3-D Imax! When we purchased the 2019 film digitally, we watched the ending countless times as the scientist sacrifices herself so her daughter and estranged husband can save themselves. Her final words are, “Long live the King!”

Godzilla vs. Kong did not disappoint, so, thus far, we have seen it twice. The special effects were outstanding, and I especially enjoyed the interaction between Kong and the young deaf girl that taught him sign language. Her scenes reminded me of Koko the gorilla who died a few years ago. I was touched by her willingness to surrender her trust to a beast like Kong. Her genuine love seemed to calm the savage beast. Her connection to him was so strong that she could sense his heartbeat, and when his heart slowed to nearly the point of death after a battle with Godzilla, her caregivers rallied to save Kong. From the beginning of the film to the end, all Kong wanted was to go home. In the opening scenes, he is dwelling in a domed “paradise,” reminiscent of Genesis, where God created a dome on the second day. In order for Kong to reach the home that is right for him, he must battle Godzilla and explore an underground tunnel whose portal is found in Antarctica. The entire storyline revolves around the theory of the hollow earth, which was popular in the seventeenth century but has since been debunked by science. The concept, however, was thought-provoking, and the tunnel voyage was very entertaining. The actors from the 2019 film appeared to develop the story, but the most shocking revelation was that the teenage girl, Madison, discovered that Godzilla was only seeking peace, whereas the humans were seeking and provoking war for personal gain – thereby destroying life! After our first viewing, I marveled at the amount of people on social media who were drawing parallels to our reality of 2021. Perhaps it was on account of the need to escape a hell-induced reality. My second viewing was even more enjoyable than the first! I think I am a sucker for superhero-type action!

As I close my latest blog, I am listening to the rockabilly version of Every Breath You Take, and I am struck by the lyrics:

“Since you’ve gone I’ve been lost without a trace
I dream at night I can only see your face
I look around but it’s you I can’t replace
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace.”

I believe the above sentiment can be understood by anyone seeking a sense of home – be it a place or a person. My husband is my home. Recently, my dad wrote some lyrics and asked me to compose the music and develop his song. I found the task daunting at first, but when I sat at the piano, the notes flowed very easily, and I wrote the piano part and added a flute line. The title of his song is Strengthened by the Lord. One of the lines of the chorus is, “Just let them celebrate home.” I believe it is a song that most people can identify with. When I was writing my book, Mirror of the Soul, I wanted to use the following quote by President John F. Kennedy:

“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came.” As a lifelong lover of the ocean, I wanted to use this quote with his belief that our human bodies contain the same percentage of salt as that of the ocean, but then discovered that he was not scientifically correct. He did, however, have a quote on his boat’s bell, which stated, “Where we go one, we go all.” Perhaps that place is the home of the Creator. My husband is the king of our castle and God is King in our lives. I anxiously await the King’s return at the end of time!