Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from Madonna

I was driving to the bookstore this morning and Like a Prayer came on my iPod. One line struck me, "Life is a mystery; Everyone must stand alone" and it occurred to me how prolific Her Madgesty is.

It's difficult to believe that the music of Madonna has been in my life since I was 9 years old. Even then I thought she was amazing - the lace gloves, the rosary as an accessory, the dance moves. My mother was horrified. Despite being Catholic and having a million pairs of rosary in the house, nobody actually said one, so it seemed natural to me that one would throw one around one's neck. My mother, another product of the Catholic school system, disagreed. Oh she let me rock a pair of hot pink lace fingerless gloves and the strip of lace in my hair, but that was it.

I did win the hair battle a few years later - I loved Madonna's pixie cut in the Papa Don't Preach video - the piecey low key look in the narrative part, not the overly styled bouffant in the choreographed dancing section of the video. Unfortunately living in the Philly suburbs in 1986, I only had access to mousse, so I wound up with the bouffant version that greatly vexed me. Oh, and forget the bleached blonde color - strictly brunette for this Madonna wanna be.

I defiantly boycotted Pepsi when they dropped Madonna in 1989 for her Like a Prayer video, I inappropriately grabbed my crotch a few months later while imitating the dance moves in the video for Express Yourself. I also inadvertently poked myself in the eye while attempting to Vogue.

The first time I wanted to pierce my nose was in 1994 when Madonna rocked one on her cuss-filled appearance on Letterman in support of Bedtime Stories, and I made my first Estee Lauder purchase when they featured the red lipstick and nail polish worn by Madonna when she appeared in the movie Evita.

I guess what Madonna really taught me was that as a woman, I didn't need to be a victim. That it was OK to stand up with the boys and tell it like it is. I think it's pretty awesome that she still "talks" to me 26 years later through her music. So, in honor of Madonna, I thought I would share some other things I've learned from the Material Girl, in no particular order:

- We are living in a material world, and I am a material girl ~ Material Girl
- I'm not your bitch, don't hang your shit on me ~ Human Nature
- A man can tell a thousand lies, I've learned my lesson well ~ Live to Tell
- Don't go for second best baby ~ Express Yourself
- Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone - Like a Prayer
- Beauty's where you find it - Vogue
- Nothing really matters, love is all we need - Nothing Really Matters
- You met your match when you met me - Causing a Commotion
- Don't forget that your family is gold - Keep It Together
- The road to Hell is paved with good intentions - 4 Minutes

I hope Madonna continues to write music that inspires generations to come. Thank you for the music Madonna.