Freddie's NOT Dead! (repost from fall '07)

Ah, music; the sweet sounds which soothe and comfort us!  Like comforting smells, strains of familiar and beloved melodies can bring memories vividly back to life.  As a woman approaching midlife, I have seen music groups come and go.  Although I enjoy newer music, such as System of a Down, Paramore, or even - gasp! - Fall Out Boy, the memorable sounds of music past such as the Beatles, Led Zeppelin or Heart are most comforting and welcome.  And then there is Queen, whose lead singer, Freddie Mercury, a grand showman if ever a showman there was, succumbed to AIDS in the early 90s.  Even my children, who loathe much of the music from the dinosaur days, are not immune to his magic, and actually choose to listen to such greats as "We Are The Champions," or "Don't Stop Me Now."  Yep, Freddie was my idol, my hero, and the music world suffered an enormous loss in his passing.

            So imagine my surprise when, as performing the fall ritual of back-to-school shopping for my teenage daughters, I found Freddie!  Not the actual Freddie, but a pretty good 15 inch likeness of him, in his later years sans the long hair and complete with mustache.  He was dressed brightly in the outfit he wore for one of his last concerts at Wembley stadium, white shirt and yellow leather jacket and jeans with Nike tennis shoes.  Perched high upon the shelf just behind the service counter at Hot Topic, the hip and trendy store for clothes and more, he was even marked down!  There was also a bonus; one push of the button on the back of his torso gave you a medley of Queen hits, from "We Will Rock You," to "Radio Gaga," (okay, maybe Queen should have left that one in the vault!)  I had to have him, I had to own my very own Freddie Mercury doll!

            I rarely buy things for myself, my children are much too quick in gobbling up any extra cash, but I was able to force myself to buy him right then and there.  I frantically turned my purse inside out, treasuring every penny found, until I had the $19.99 plus tax, enough to pay for the doll.  Compulsive buying aside, my heart was beating just a little bit faster as the salesclerk placed Freddie on the counter.  Nirvana at last!

            Enter my kids.  Not a bad lot as children go, but they weren't about to let an opportunity to humiliate their mother slip by them, no, this was just too easy.

            "Oh my God!  Mom's buying a doll!" and "Eeww!  Who's that!"  They groaned.

            I could only reply, "It's Freddie!" 

            I remained undaunted.  Bravely and proudly I took my bag off the counter, despite the chuckles and snorts emitting from my family.  Such trifling snickering was not going to ruin the moment and I valiantly strolled out of the store with my prize in hand.  Our journey in reviving Freddie had just begun.

            Our ride home started out as mundane as any of our other long trips back to Houghton Lake from the Midland Mall.  Flat and rather boring scenery blurred by and the journey was long enough to cause my derriere to become slightly numb.  My children, absorbed in their MP3 players in the backseat, were unaware of their impending role.  Skye, the youngest and a spotlight hog from birth, became intrigued about Freddie, anxious to find another way to embarrass poor mom while getting some attention.  Slowly she unwrapped Freddie's cardboard coffin, liberating him from his isolation and slumber.  She slipped the battery, which was included, into his back, and voila!  Instant Freddie Mercury!

            "Buddy you're a boy, make a big noise/Playing in the Street, gonna be a big man someday..." came blaring out as Freddie lay cradled in her lap.  Holly, the quiet one, was unable to control herself upon hearing this and began to sing along with the tune and soon both girls were giggling, singing and swaying in the backseat.  The yuks about mom's new toy were hitting their peak, but the best was yet to come.

            You see Freddie's showmanship could not be restrained.  As a newer red minivan pulled slowly past us, they caught sight of our concert in the backseat, hearing the melody through the open windows.  Immediately the passengers started pointing at the small, yet larger-than-life Freddie figurine.  We could see their instant smiles, and hear their roars of laughter.  At first I was sure that such mockery would cause major embarrassment to my girls, but to my surprise, it appeared to fill them with purpose.  They had a new mission:  To share Freddie with the rest of the world, or at least to every passing car!

            Our tiny Kia became a juggernaut of fun, accosting each vehicle which dared to pass us, (okay, we did slow down some to insure maximum effect.)  With each new victim Freddie "became" braver, eventually "flying" outside the car to entertain these moving targets.  One woman, compelled to slow down enough to receive an encore, gave Freddie a "thumbs-up" and nearly drove off the road watching the show.  I was bursting with laughter and our game brought me complete euphoria, both in seeing the effect that Freddie had on others as well as bonding me with my girls.  We finished our trip with a piece de résistance, placing Freddie on our front porch, turning him on, then knocking and running to hide as my son quizzically answered the door.

            Freddie Mercury was a talent that has now defied death.  His gift of song lives on in the many Queen hits which have become staples in sports arenas and cheesy commercials for AT&T.  It says a lot when a simple Freddie doll can provide such amusement and entertainment so many years after his death.  My children and I have continued to share "Freddie" with the rest of our friends and neighbors, but nothing can ever compare with the flat out joy and laughter of that first day when Freddie came into our lives.