The Queen of the night

So as everyone knows, Whitney Houston passed away on Saturday. For some reason, this has really affected me. I am not trying to be super-gay or anything, but I am really sad. As most of you know, I was raised in a very religious, very strict home. The music we were allowed to listen to was The Mullins, The Fitch Family, Sandy Patty, Larnell Harris and other Gospel greats. There was no Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and certainly not Madonna. Amy Grant wasn't even allowed and she was a christian artist!!! But, when we were little we would spend some of the summer and Christmas at my dad's parents house. Poppy and Grandma are Catholic. They drank wine, cussed, and listened to all kinds of music. It was like living dangerously to us sheltered Independent Baptists. I remember I loved going to their house for two distinct resasons. This is going to sound kind of awful, but keep in mind I was like 7 or 8. I had no real concept of death, so spending time with my grandparents wasn't first and foremost. The two reasons I loved going to their house in New Port Richey, Florida was because of the movie "The Labyrinth"(Which to this day is still my favorite movie) and the soundtrack to "The Bodyguard". This was my first introduction to "The Voice", and I was hooked.  Listening to Whitney the first time was like nothing else I have experienced in my life. She had the effortless ability to pummel you, and at the same time transport you to a whole new world. I couldn't help but be sucked in to the story she was telling, even though I had no idea what she was singing about. The power she exuded was just so incredible. It made me want to be a singer, a dream I still carry and practice every morning in the shower(sorry roomies!!). I remember the smells in my grandparent's house as I sat in front of the cassette player and listened to that album over and over and over. "Queen of the night" was one of my favorites, along with "I'm every woman" and of course "I will always love you". It was more than wanting to be as amazing as she was, I wanted to be her. I wanted to be adored by everyone, I wanted to amaze and astound, I wanted the whole world to know who I was and what I could do. She inspired me to be more than just a kid from small town Vidalia, Ga. From then on I remember wanting to get out of that town and pursue my dreams of being a star. By the time we left V-town, I was 15 and puberty had destroyed my amazing high soprano voice that everyone doted on and I was certain was going to be my ticket to one day meeting Ms. Houston, and maybe even singing with her. It kind of sucks to have your dreams destroyed by something you absolutely have no control over. But I got over it, grew up a little, and found some new dreams. Dreams to which I am fighting for tooth and nail everyday, dreams that have carried me through tough times, depressed times, and have really made me the person that I am today. I get my dreams from Whtiney Houston, the courage to chase them down from my Mom, and the strength to stick with them, even when I don't want to, from my Dad. So to everyone out there that only remembers the last few years of Whitney's life, that's fine. I remember them too. But I will always remember the Whitney that inspired me to be something more, and for that I am forever grateful. Rest in peace Whitney, and may God and Poppy welcome you into Heaven, where someday we might just be able to sing together.