To say that everything I know I learned from Cher is an understatement. Everything I am is because of Cher. She was, and continues to be, the light in the darkness; my inspiration.
Hero is a term that gets thrown around a lot. But when I say Cher is my hero, I mean it. From an awkward, bullied little kid who needed someone to show them that being different is a good thing, to a now still awkward, but maybe slightly less unsure 21 year old who still needs that guidance, she’s always been there. Sometimes I cry when I think about the difference Cher has made in my life. And I know I’ll never truly get to thank her for that. But it’s okay. I wouldn’t be who I am without her. I just wouldn’t. Everything I am, everything I’ve become is thanks to her. My identity is composed of bits and pieces of everything I was exposed to because of Cher. She helped me become me.
I went through a lot as a kid with the bullying and the skin problems, and Cher was the constant. I always knew that no matter what happened, no matter how shitty things got or may have seemed, all I had to do was watch one of her movies, or listen to a song of hers, and everything seemed a little bit better. She just made sense to me. She always has.
In Cher I saw everything I wanted to be. The beauty, talent, creativity, uniqueness, and above all, strength. As the years passed I watched her, learned from her, always taking mental notes. I learned more from Cher than I ever did in any classroom. I learned how to be strong, how to follow my dreams, and how to never give up. I mean, you’ve got to give it to the woman, she’s had one hell of a tumultuous career. And that’s just her work life. Personal life is a whole other thing.
It never ceases to amaze me how this wide eyed little girl, coming from the poorest of poor backgrounds, with little self confidence and a whole lot of misdirection, was able to become CHER. But who is Cher anyways?
To me, I know two Cher’s. There’s the work Cher. The Moonstruck, Believe, Turn Back Time in black dental floss Cher. Then, there’s what I call Cherilyners. This is the Cher behind the costumes and wigs. The Cher that’s left when all the makeup is removed and the stage lights have all gone dark. The Cher that’s vulnerable. The Cher that’s afraid of being hurt so closes herself off. The Cher who gives whole-heartedly to those in need. The Cher who is shy and quiet. The Cher who struggles with depression. The Cher who sometimes feels lost, and alone. That’s the Cher I love. I love that Cher more than any music making, Oscar winning Cher, because I know that that Cher exists inside this seemingly confident, powerhouse of a woman. I know that the vulnerable Cher puts on the tough, flawless Cher face when she braces the public. And isn’t that what we’re all doing? We all have to put on an act sometimes. We all have to wear the brave face and pretend we’re put together, pretend we’re okay, even when we aren’t. To me, that’s what takes courage. That’s what makes someone strong.
Yes, we’re all human. But we tend to forget that when it comes to celebrities. I guess I grew up forgetting Cher was human. To me, she was always my superhero. In recent years I finally realized the reason I love Cher isn’t because she’s a superhero. It’s because she’s as flawed and fucked up as the rest of us, but she’s flawed and fucked up in 10,000 sequins and a neon pink wig.
I used to feel like I was absolutely going to meet Cher. I thought it was just meant to be. How can you love someone so much, and never meet them? Now I know, loving someone has nothing to do with their physical presence in your life. I love a lot of people who I rarely get to see. I love a lot of people who I never see. No matter where I go in life, what I do, what I become, I’ll always have Cher. I’ll carry her with me through every stage of my life. She’s with me at every graduation, she’ll be with me on the first day of my first adult job, she’ll be with me at my wedding, and when I’m raising some hooligan children. She’ll always be with me because she helped create me. So much of me comes from her that she’ll never not be a part of every experience. And I don’t need to know her personally to know that.
We’re connected. Maybe when the big bang happened, little particles that would someday be Cher and Nicole crossed paths bumping into each other, becoming somewhat intertwined. Or maybe we both lived past lives in Ancient Egypt, chillin under palm trees together. Or maybe we were making election posters for Abraham Lincoln (Cher and I share a passion for history). Whatever it is, I know she was meant to be a part of my life, and I know she always will be. So, from the bottom of my heart, with every ounce of my being, thank you Cher. For everything. I'm so proud to look up to you.
I love you always, and wish you the happiest of birthdays. Remember, it’s not 70, it’s 70-teen.
“Until you're ready to look foolish, you'll never have the possibility of being great.”-Cher
Hero is a term that gets thrown around a lot. But when I say Cher is my hero, I mean it. From an awkward, bullied little kid who needed someone to show them that being different is a good thing, to a now still awkward, but maybe slightly less unsure 21 year old who still needs that guidance, she’s always been there. Sometimes I cry when I think about the difference Cher has made in my life. And I know I’ll never truly get to thank her for that. But it’s okay. I wouldn’t be who I am without her. I just wouldn’t. Everything I am, everything I’ve become is thanks to her. My identity is composed of bits and pieces of everything I was exposed to because of Cher. She helped me become me.
I went through a lot as a kid with the bullying and the skin problems, and Cher was the constant. I always knew that no matter what happened, no matter how shitty things got or may have seemed, all I had to do was watch one of her movies, or listen to a song of hers, and everything seemed a little bit better. She just made sense to me. She always has.
In Cher I saw everything I wanted to be. The beauty, talent, creativity, uniqueness, and above all, strength. As the years passed I watched her, learned from her, always taking mental notes. I learned more from Cher than I ever did in any classroom. I learned how to be strong, how to follow my dreams, and how to never give up. I mean, you’ve got to give it to the woman, she’s had one hell of a tumultuous career. And that’s just her work life. Personal life is a whole other thing.
It never ceases to amaze me how this wide eyed little girl, coming from the poorest of poor backgrounds, with little self confidence and a whole lot of misdirection, was able to become CHER. But who is Cher anyways?
To me, I know two Cher’s. There’s the work Cher. The Moonstruck, Believe, Turn Back Time in black dental floss Cher. Then, there’s what I call Cherilyners. This is the Cher behind the costumes and wigs. The Cher that’s left when all the makeup is removed and the stage lights have all gone dark. The Cher that’s vulnerable. The Cher that’s afraid of being hurt so closes herself off. The Cher who gives whole-heartedly to those in need. The Cher who is shy and quiet. The Cher who struggles with depression. The Cher who sometimes feels lost, and alone. That’s the Cher I love. I love that Cher more than any music making, Oscar winning Cher, because I know that that Cher exists inside this seemingly confident, powerhouse of a woman. I know that the vulnerable Cher puts on the tough, flawless Cher face when she braces the public. And isn’t that what we’re all doing? We all have to put on an act sometimes. We all have to wear the brave face and pretend we’re put together, pretend we’re okay, even when we aren’t. To me, that’s what takes courage. That’s what makes someone strong.
Yes, we’re all human. But we tend to forget that when it comes to celebrities. I guess I grew up forgetting Cher was human. To me, she was always my superhero. In recent years I finally realized the reason I love Cher isn’t because she’s a superhero. It’s because she’s as flawed and fucked up as the rest of us, but she’s flawed and fucked up in 10,000 sequins and a neon pink wig.
I used to feel like I was absolutely going to meet Cher. I thought it was just meant to be. How can you love someone so much, and never meet them? Now I know, loving someone has nothing to do with their physical presence in your life. I love a lot of people who I rarely get to see. I love a lot of people who I never see. No matter where I go in life, what I do, what I become, I’ll always have Cher. I’ll carry her with me through every stage of my life. She’s with me at every graduation, she’ll be with me on the first day of my first adult job, she’ll be with me at my wedding, and when I’m raising some hooligan children. She’ll always be with me because she helped create me. So much of me comes from her that she’ll never not be a part of every experience. And I don’t need to know her personally to know that.
We’re connected. Maybe when the big bang happened, little particles that would someday be Cher and Nicole crossed paths bumping into each other, becoming somewhat intertwined. Or maybe we both lived past lives in Ancient Egypt, chillin under palm trees together. Or maybe we were making election posters for Abraham Lincoln (Cher and I share a passion for history). Whatever it is, I know she was meant to be a part of my life, and I know she always will be. So, from the bottom of my heart, with every ounce of my being, thank you Cher. For everything. I'm so proud to look up to you.
I love you always, and wish you the happiest of birthdays. Remember, it’s not 70, it’s 70-teen.
“Until you're ready to look foolish, you'll never have the possibility of being great.”-Cher
Look how far you've come...
xxx Nicole
xxx Nicole