July 20, 2017
When an artist commits suicide, the entire life work of that individual immediately acquires a completely new meaning. When it comes to singers, going through some of the lyrics you’ve already listened to a thousand times before, brings entirely new thoughts to your head.
Today, the world lost Chester Bennington, one of the two frontmen of Linkin Park. And, just by going back and listening to some of the songs that were basically the soundtrack of my life more than ten years ago, I get the feeling that the messages were always loud and clear, even if I didn’t always quite get them.
Doodle I made around ten years ago. Always thought it looked a bit like Chester.
You listen to the same words over and over again, coming from different voices, different bands, in different times of your life. And you kind of become numb to it, downplay everything to the “teenage angst” aspect most youngsters have – and sometimes keep well after their teenage years. But, of course, every story is unique, every individual has a very personal set of baggages that can be both defining and damning. Some say the words, others live by them.
I guess that, in the end, we all try to heal our past wounds and make the most of what we have in life.
Whenever someone makes it, it gives me the biggest smile. Whenever someone falls under the sheer weight of it all, I shed a tear.
May you rest in peace, Chester.
