Lana Del Rey, christened Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, has been the voice of a generation with her evocative music and deeply felt lyrics.
Her chart-toppers like “Blue Jeans” and “Video Games” solidified her position in the music industry.
Yet, lately, the spotlight on her has shifted from her musical prowess.
The Talk of the Town
With the global pandemic altering many aspects of daily life, Lana Del Rey’s noticeable physical transformation has become a topic of discussion. While it’s natural for individuals to evolve over time, the singer’s significant weight gain has brought her under undue scrutiny and, unfortunately, unwarranted criticism.
Facing the Limelight’s Shadow
Paparazzi captured the singer in 2020, and the photos soon became a focal point for negative attention. Events like the Malibu Chili Cook-Off in 2022 amplified the criticism, shifting the conversation away from her artistic contributions and more towards her personal life.
A Fandom that Stands United
Every cloud has a silver lining, and in Lana Del Rey’s case, it’s her fiercely loyal fanbase. Fans globally have taken to their platforms to counter the negativity, championing the hashtag #WeLoveYouLana. This wave of affection reaffirms the idea that Lana’s essence is much more than just her physical form.
Reading Between the Lyrics
Dedicated followers have been delving deep into Lana Del Rey’s discography, especially the unreleased song, “Boarding School.” The lyrics hint at deep-seated issues and personal battles, prompting further speculation and concern for the singer.
Embracing the Artist
Having taken a step back from social media in 2021, Lana Del Rey chose to prioritize other avenues of her life. For those who admire her, this is a poignant reminder to appreciate artists for their craft and the depth they bring into our lives. It’s time we rally around Lana Del Rey, celebrating her artistry and hoping for her well-being in all life’s avenues.
Matt Heath: My parting message: Enjoy things while they are around
A lot of big, tragic and important things have happened to this wonderful country of ours since April 2014. None of which I have covered. I was too busy writing about hungover parenting, ancient philosophy and my dog Colin.
Out of the 536 columns I have written, 27 were about that guy. Far too few. He is such a good boy, he deserves an article a week.
Today is the end of an era for me, and whenever these final events pop up in our lives, we can’t help but think about the ultimate end.
Everything we do, we will one day do for the last time. That’s why you have to enjoy things while they are around. It’s not just big events like leaving a job, house or loved one either. Whatever moment you happen to be in now, you will never get it back, and you don’t know how many more you have.
Everything we do in life, from eating pizza to spending time with the people we love, to driving, writing, drinking or breathing, we will one day experience for the final time. It might happen tomorrow. This can be either a depressing or an inspiring thought, depending on how you look at it.
A few years back in this column, I interviewed professor of philosophy William B Irvine, of Wright State University, Ohio, on this very topic. He put it this way on a Zoom call: “Recognition of the impermanence of everything in life can invest the things we do with a significance and intensity that would otherwise be absent. The only way we can be truly alive is if we make it our business periodically to entertain thoughts of the end.”
Today’s column is very meaningful to me because it is my last. Like the last night with a lover before she goes overseas. And just like a lover, there have been some half-arsed efforts put in from me over the years. Last week, for example, I spent 750 words moaning about how bad my cricket team is. But the truth is that any of my columns could have been the final. If I had reminded myself every week for the past 10 years that the end is inevitable, I may have been more grateful for having a column and appreciated writing them all as much as I am this one.
While everything we do could have more meaning with a focus on finitude, some things are inherently more worthwhile than others. There is no doubt my column “The pros and cons of wearing Speedos” from November 2022 was less meaningful than most things in this world. That was a waste of everyone’s time. So, if we only have so much time, how do we pick the best things to do?
Well, Oliver Burkeman, the author of Four Thousand Weeks – Time Management For Mortals, suggested this to me in a 2022 column: “Ask yourself, does this choice enlarge me? You usually know on some unspoken level if it does. That’s a good way to distinguish between options.”
With that in mind, I don’t feel great about my 2018 article on “New Zealand’s best hole”. That didn’t enlarge anyone.
There will be people reading this column right now who have loved my writing in the Herald and are sad to see it end. Others will have hated it and are glad to see me go. Many won’t have any opinion at all. But for those in the first camp, I have good news. I have a book coming out on May 28 called A Life Less Punishing – 13 Ways To Love The Life You Got (Allen and Unwin Book Publishers). It’s a deep dive into the history, philosophy and science of not wasting our time lost in anger, loneliness, humiliation, stress, fear, boredom and all the other ways we find to not enjoy perfectly good lives. It’s available for pre-order right now (google it if you’re interested).
A Life Less Punishing took me two years to write and is equivalent in words to 100 of these columns. Which would be a complete nightmare for those in the hate camp, but as I say, great news for those who want more.
Anyway, thanks to the Herald for having me, thanks to the lovely people who make an effort to say nice things to me about my column nearly every day and thanks to the universe for every single second we get.
Bless!
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