The first album I ever bought was U2 and right near the top of my first purchases was Davie Bowie. I LOVE David Bowie. When I lived in New Zealand, I heard he was coming in concert. I figured I would never have another chance to see him perform so I really wanted to go to the concert. I knew several other exchange students who were going and tried to work out going.One of them said he could get me a ticket and then I didn't hear from him. He called the day of the concert and told me that he had a ticket for me and a place to stay. He didn't have a ride up for me to Auckland so I made some calls and was able to get a ride up with another few exchange students that were also going to attend.
I thought things would work out well and I could see an amazing performer and musician. In all reality, it didn't turn out like I thought it would. I was dropped off downtown Auckland and the exchange student that told me he had a place for me to stay lied just so he wouldn't have to eat the ticket. He wanted me to go to the concert but didn't give me time to get a place to stay.I found myself sitting on a store step in a foreign country with no way to get to the concert or home to the town where I lived a few hours away. I remember seeing a young prostitute about my age on the street when we drove in and it was such a shock to me that I was freaking out and remember wondering what I should do.
Back then, there were no cell phones and I couldn't just text someone or put my situation on facebook. I was really scared. What to do when scared? My training as a young child always pointed me toward prayer when scared or in need even though I hadn't attended church much while in New Zealand, I still had a belief in God and KNEW He cared.I started praying and while sitting there on the step on a busy street in a strange city in a little island about as far from my home as I could possible get, GOD answered that prayer. One of the Rotary members son happened to walk by me and recognize me. I told him of my situation and he told me I could stay with them and he was going to the concert and could help us get to the concert and back home to our city after the concert!
I went with them to different stores, flea markets, the concert, shopping, clubs and home. I ran into a few friends at the concert as well. By looking at the amount of people in the photos that attended the concert, that in itself is a miracle.
The concert was amazing and I loved that he let white doves go at the end of the concert. Truly, that concert and the situation surrounding my rescue are a cherished memory. Due to the situation however, the Rotary clubs changed their stance and wouldn't allow exchange students to attend them alone anymore. I TOTALLY get why they made that rule as the situation could have ended so horribly for me. Also, there was rioting at the show and the fences were being pushed down by fans wanting into the venue and finally, the security started helping them over the fences so there wouldn't be anyone trampled or hurt. It really could have had a different ending.
To me, it was just one more time in my life when PRAYER changed my life!!! People who are doubter and haters can say it was coincidence but to me, it was another time when HE let me know I mattered!!! HE knew where I was on the little island far from home and put someone there to help me be safe and have a wonderful experience.
I always liked hearing "Young American" because all the girl exchange students from America would shout when we would hear that song on touring the country. I have always appreciated "Lets Dance" as I have always LOVED to dance.
The song "Changes" seems to be more appropriate in my life now as I see it reflected in my situation with the kids dad. There are so many songs from the groups I love that have impacted my life in some way. How amazing that Bowie has influenced so many with his many albums.I was at a store the other day and there were two men there about my age and they spoke about how they would change their hair to match David Bowie's hair while growing up. I am sure that wherever David Jones is now, he is aware of how many people he influenced in his life on earth.
Here is a link to a post where I list all the concerts I have attended.
I wanted to throw a few other little things here at the end. I had a cool thing happen while I was headed to
the bank, and the sign next to the bank said, “11:11 a.m.” it was almost five p.m. I
smiled and wished I could get a picture of it but when I pulled into park, it
was then 11:12 on the clock. I waited in the bank for a long time and the
little “news” TVs they have showed a stock down 111 points. I smiled again. I
then went to the store to get a prescription for my mother, and the index number
for the drug of course had a 111 in it. Looking at the date all day on my phone it was 1-11-16 which was four 1's in a row all day. I truly think God is blessing me as I have been struggling with taking care of my mother and my own health. I am not feeling any better and truth be told, I am feeling worse but God has given me lots of patience in dealing with my mother and her health issues. Some days she remember nothing and others, she will tell me stories I have never heard that are triggered by movies she is watching. We have a appointment with an ear specialist next week and I am praying he can figure out what her health problem is. I truly know she is at my house for a reason and I just hope we can figure out what that reason is! 
I have included pictures from my journal of the days in Auckland and the Bowie concert and my running into the Rotarian's son. It truly took me back looking through my scrap books and I was sad I couldn't find the picture of Bowie that my friend took at the concert as it was quite good. I was also sad I am not sure where the ticket from the concert is but there is an entire bin of scrap book stuff that I haven't looked at in many many years. To show you how long it has been, I have been alone for 15 years and if someone told me I would find something that belonged to my ex in my house, I would have bet against it but I found some postcards he had from his visit to Brazil before we married while looking for my own New Zealand stuff. That is how long it has been since I looked through those two bins! I guess it was time to go through and sort through them as I am sure my kids are not going to want most of the stuff in them. I have a lot of slides that they will probably never see.
I went through and sorted all the slide of both of my parents and we scanned them all yet I haven't done any of my own stuff! I need a good scanner so I can scan faster. It is the reason I don't scan as it takes several minutes for each scan and it would take me years of nothing else.
Perhaps this is the time to have a big bon fire and clean out some of that stuff that no one would want and would probably be stored for a few more years and then need to be sorted if anything happened to me. I don't want to leave my kids with the work that has been placed on me by my parents having to scan, sort, move, store etc. There is so much technology now that perhaps it is time for me to work on my own stuff!
I'll include the lyrics to "Changes" as I feel they truly do speak to situations in our lives at the moment. If there is any issue with these lyrics, you can click on this link if you have an hour to read a huge debate on if the word is "face the strain" or face the "strange" but I have always thought it was "Strain" and by most accounts, that is the word in this song. I did get a good laugh out of some of the comments that have gone on for years about this however. Click here and scroll to the bottom of the lyrics if you have nothing better to do with your life.
I still don't know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild
A million dead-end streets
Every time I thought I'd got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet
So I turned myself to face me
But I've never caught a glimpse
Of how the others must see the faker
I'm much too fast to take that test
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time
I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence and
So the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're going through
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Don't tell them to grow up and out of it
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Where's your shame
You've left us up to our necks in it
Time may change me
But you can't trace time
Strange fascination, fascinating me
Changes are taking the pace I'm going through
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Oh, look out you rock 'n rollers
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Pretty soon you're gonna get a little older
Time may change me
But I can't trace time
I said that time may change me
But I can't trace time
I believe that it is never too late for us to make changes in our lives and change the way others see us and how we treat others. Hopefully, others can realize that they can make changes as well before, like David Bowie, it is too late.
Thanks you David Jones for sharing your amazing talent with us for decades! Rest in Peace!
Click here to see an article with footage of his arriving in New Zealand in 1983.
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