I wanted to take a moment this morning to honor the life of Sinéad Marie Bernadette O’Connor as many of us mourn her loss. Her impact on so many of us was immeasurable

I spent 10 years in Catholic school, during the formative ages of 4-14. During those years I would be sent to the hall or given punishment on multiple occasions. Not for being a bad student, but these instances would generally occur when we were studying theology or doctrine (this is the time when we were taught “what we as good Catholics” believed). My crime or offense was always that I simply dared to ask the question “But why” or “How do I know that is what I believe”. It wasn’t that I wanted to be difficult, it was just that at an early age, I already saw many difficulties in the church and contradictions at that, so Sinéad was a woman that spoke to my heart.

She was truly an artist and a fearless one at that. One that instilled in me that you shouldn’t walk with blind faith and that the most important thing ever is to truly be yourself. I vividly remember watching her performance on SNL where in calm and steadfast defiance she ripped up the photo of Pope John Paul II on live television. It didn’t matter to her if it “ruined” her career. All that mattered to her was that she used her platform to stand firmly in her beliefs. She would never know what impact that would have on a 14-year-old girl in Alabama, but it was a pivotal moment.

She didn’t just knock down walls, she came at them with a bulldozer and yet somehow always with a sense of grace. Then there is her voice, such an amazing voice, so strong and fragile at the same time. With the closely shorn haircut that, despite her efforts, just made her that much more beautiful, I always thought of her as the modern-day Joan of Arc. Thank you Sinéad for the beauty you brought to this world, even when it brought you immense pain to do so. Thank you for teaching so many little girls like this one not to worry about what others think, because it doesn’t matter, as long as you are true to yourself.

Andrea

Andrea Paschal
Executive Director
Coalition of Independent Music Stores
ThinkIndie Distribution
3738 4th Terrace North
Birmingham, AL 35222
Phone: 205.595.1932 x.208
Fax: 205.595.1938
Email : andrea@cimsmusic.com
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