Guests

Coincidental Encounter

I hurriedly descend from the jet while the captain bids farewell with a smile on his face. It doesn't seem like my change of plans bothered him much despite the initial surprise. The guy must be rubbing his hands together, thinking about the extra cash he's pocketing.

"I'll be back tomorrow at seven in the evening!" I exclaim as I rush down the stairs.

A bus stops beside the jet, allowing us to board. Everything is happening in a rather unorthodox manner. People are a bit surprised to see us boarding the vehicle in the middle of the runway. Some grab their phones when they recognize me. I smile at them and apologize for interrupting their passage to the terminal. It's possible that some of them have connecting flights, and I hope I'm not causing them to miss their planes!

I take a few photos with the younger girls who are competing with other passengers to immortalize this unexpected encounter. Many of them tell me they're glad I'm okay, and it touches me. One of them is only ten years old and she has been aware of my crisis. Just for her words, it has been worth stopping here.

The influence I have on my fans still surprises me. They empathize with me and share in my sorrows and joys. Seeing me smile encourages and strengthens them. These photos will be a treasure for them for years to come, and that's why I can't refuse them. Perhaps I'm more prepared to return than I imagined.

I feel the obligation to be an example, and that responsibility weighed on me like a burden during my withdrawal from the stage and social life. Mary used to tell me that even my low moments could be a lesson for them.

"We can't keep people ignorant of reality. We all laugh and cry. We enjoy and suffer. Both are two sides of the same coin. When they see it in you, it can help them understand and accept their own. Don't see it as a burden. Use it as an opportunity for everyone to grow."

The little ones tend to believe that the lives of their idols are perfect and devoid of worries and problems. We are an ideal of what they want to be and achieve. It's something that companies and representatives have taken care to spread because who wants a star who admits to having any mental or physical instability? This is a world of appearances where we have to embody the epitome of perfection. And it all becomes even more complicated if you're a woman.

Everyone scrutinizes you: if you're too thin or have more pounds than they desire, if you don't wear makeup to cover your acne, if your hair isn't straight... Thankfully, today's society forces them to conceal their most xenophobic and sexist instincts. In the past, it could be a problem being too dark-skinned, also you had to behave like a horny bitch in your music videos if you wanted to attract the public's attention. Of course! I have to become a porn star to satisfy the sexual fetishes of the same kind of people...

Apologies for the broadside, as Kay would say. What I want my followers to see in me is an empowered woman, confident in herself, who accepts that she's not perfect according to the selfish standards of a certain majority —because I'm very content today with who I am— independent to choose her own path in life and be and do as she pleases. If I want to dress provocatively, it's for my own satisfaction, not for a man.

And in that regard, I confess that I regret one of my early songs —which I didn't write, mind you— whose lyrics say that I want to look beautiful for my man. I can't believe I sang that crap!

"Yes, all very nice, but you're a superstar and everything is easier for you." It's true that economics shouldn't be a problem for me. Instead, I have an overexposure that doesn't allow me to cry my sorrows in peace, without anyone chasing after me and asking, "Why do you always have that bitter expression?" or "What have you been eating lately? You seem to have gained weight." Yes, even in this day and age, they still ask you such unpleasant questions.