Letting him go is not in the cards for me. I just can't, & won't. He's it for me - always has been, always will be.

It was around 2009 (after the death of Michael Jackson) that I would sometimes wonder about life once Prince transitioned from life to whatever comes after, so when I got the call on 4/21, I was neither shocked nor sad; I zoomed straight to acceptance. The days after his death included listening to all 39 albums from 1978-2015 as well as watching one concert from all periods (where full concerts were available), then I started playing some of his tunes on the piano (mainly Moonbeam Levels, ICNTTPOYM, Beautiful Strange, and Gold--but many others). Catharsis was mine after listening, watching and playing the piano.

CalhounSq said:

Letting him go is not in the cards for me. I just can't, & won't. He's it for me - always has been, always will be.

Even if this website didn't exist I would stil feel like that, but I'm hoping the org will be around for much much longer so we'll always have the option to either stay, leave or come back

bit surprised at this thread but fair enough for the OP. Personally speaking it's a time to sit back & reflect..he left an insane amount of music / projects behind & I get as much pleasure from it now as I I always did...just watching him perform is touched with huge saddness BUT also a renewed sense of awe. Frankly he is THE most talented musical star that has ever lived...On Bowie comes close IMHO in terms of all round ability.

I do not & cannot move on from this stunning journey he took us ALL on. Train may have pulled in BUT i damn sure aint getting off!

SquirrelMeat said:

My 10 year old twin boys asked me the other day why I like Prince so much. I explained to them that certain music, at certain points becomes a part of your life, because lyrically, and timing wise, it can have a greater effect on you than the music itself.

I'm not sure they got it, so I made them a quick montage of prince pictures, based on a song that resonates with my personal journey. I think they then understood. (mods, it doesn't use Prince music or video, and only uses images already on here, be it my favourite ones).

This is beautifully put together. It is this kind of generosity of spirit that helps people heal. The reward is in the giving. Thank you for giving.

I am not surprised at the depth of emotion people are experiencing. Prince got into our brains LITERALLY. The breadth and scope of his influence on our autobiographical memory should not be underestimated. Music, emotions, and memory are all tightly wound together in the brain and processed similarly. I'm simplifying it for this context but I think you get it. This goes deep with reactions varying depending on age group and other conditions. I'm 51 and it was like getting kicked in the chest. I shut down for five days. Now I am taking care of the emotions I’m having and not rushing or judging anything that I am feeling right now. It will all change like everything does with time.

SquirrelMeat said:

My 10 year old twin boys asked me the other day why I like Prince so much. I explained to them that certain music, at certain points becomes a part of your life, because lyrically, and timing wise, it can have a greater effect on you than the music itself.

I'm not sure they got it, so I made them a quick montage of prince pictures, based on a song that resonates with my personal journey. I think they then understood. (mods, it doesn't use Prince music or video, and only uses images already on here, be it my favourite ones).

Thank you for this. Although personal, at the same time it's universal. Compliments.

Starlit said:

CalhounSq said:

Letting him go is not in the cards for me. I just can't, & won't. He's it for me - always has been, always will be.

Even if this website didn't exist I would stil feel like that, but I'm hoping the org will be around for much much longer so we'll always have the option to either stay, leave or come back

to both of you!

I've got over the shock of his death and in recent weeks have found that I've been dwelling less on how he died, the investigation etc., and I am now thinking about him in a more positive way. For me there is no question that he will always be the soundtrack to my life and I will go on enjoying his work and being interested in him. I haven't been posting on the org recently as I've been having a general online break, but I will always visit here a few times a week just to see what's happening and keep up with any news.

When I was younger I had four or five years where I would say I was obsessed with him, and my life revolved around him. In the end I was very unhappy and isolated, and decided to move on a bit at that stage, get new interests etc., and look to the wider world. Ever since, I think my fandom has been in a good and enjoyable place - he's always been important to me, but when he died my intense years had long since passed, and I think that helped me to cope.

It's different for everyone - I always think that any level of fandom/interest is absolutely fine, as long as the person is content with it and feels it's right for them. It's when it becomes distressing in some way, or starts to interfere with real life relationships, work and so on, that maybe it's time for a change. I would never seek to tell anyone to move on...there are so many variables in people's lives, and people heal differently.

I lost my parents and other family members a few years ago, I learned then that for me it was just best to go with the flow and let time pass. In the same way with Prince, I haven't tried to force my emotions in any direction, I'm just letting life move forward one step at a time and finding that little by little other interests are filling my days, though I like to play his music and think about him a lot, now less with sadness and more with happiness that I grew up as part of his generation and was lucky enough to see him live. There is a saying that goes something like "how lucky I was to have known something that saying goodbye to was so damned hard".

[Edited 7/10/16 1:19am]

MissMarySharon said:

Well said!

No letting go for me,

got so much purple music I havent heard/watched yet, I should say collected over the years....its time to dig em all out and revisit the music in depth and readup on the man.....its almost like a catch up now.

Im finding Im assessing the music in depth more now if that makes sense.

How much u need to move on depends on how much of your life it is consuming. I think if u feel some rational detachment and keep the daily parts of ur life cool then u r fine. If people need to cry and grieve more for someone they never met than their own family and friends. That's a problem.

MissMarySharon said:

I've got over the shock of his death and in recent weeks have found that I've been dwelling less on how he died, the investigation etc., and I am now thinking about him in a more positive way. For me there is no question that he will always be the soundtrack to my life and I will go on enjoying his work and being interested in him. I haven't been posting on the org recently as I've been having a general online break, but I will always visit here a few times a week just to see what's happening and keep up with any news.

When I was younger I had four or five years where I would say I was obsessed with him, and my life revolved around him. In the end I was very unhappy and isolated, and decided to move on a bit at that stage, get new interests etc., and look to the wider world. Ever since, I think my fandom has been in a good and enjoyable place - he's always been important to me, but when he died my intense years had long since passed, and I think that helped me to cope.

It's different for everyone - I always think that any level of fandom/interest is absolutely fine, as long as the person is content with it and feels it's right for them. It's when it becomes distressing in some way, or starts to interfere with real life relationships, work and so on, that maybe it's time for a change. I would never seek to tell anyone to move on...there are so many variables in people's lives, and people heal differently.

I lost my parents and other family members a few years ago, I learned then that for me it was just best to go with the flow and let time pass. In the same way with Prince, I haven't tried to force my emotions in any direction, I'm just letting life move forward one step at a time and finding that little by little other interests are filling my days, though I like to play his music and think about him a lot, now less with sadness and more with happiness that I grew up as part of his generation and was lucky enough to see him live. There is a saying that goes something like "how lucky I was to have known something that saying goodbye to was so damned hard".

[Edited 7/10/16 1:19am]

Yes well said

MissMarySharon said:

...and I am now thinking about him in a more positive way.

I'm glad somebody else is where I'm at! I try not to be sad anymore and I listen to the upbeat stuff of his to remember the smiles, joy, and love of life that he had, because that's what he would want us to remember about him! Yes, I am still sad at times, but mostly positive!

KoolEaze said:

I think the online presence of us oldschool Prince fans is now more important than ever. I know this sounds arrogant, conceited and a bit cheesy but it´s us oldschool orgers( and that definitely includes you, SquirrelMeat) who will , in some way, preserve his legacy by answering questions for newbies, discussing the man and his music, share memories , etc. etc.

After Prince passed away my brother thanked me for taking him to several concerts, telling me how he will always cherish those memories. I mean, in the future, it´s us who can say that they saw him at this or that concert, during this or that phase.

Prince continues to be amazing, mysterious, fascinating..even long after his death. And his spirit will live on but it´s also up to us, to some extent.

In my opinion, the fact that he´s become eternal gives me a little bit of solace.

YES. I'm so grateful for the old school fans... You guys took me in and helped love me through the pain!

SquirrelMeat said:

Hey all, I’m not sure where I stand on all the stages of loss type stuff, all I know is, it feels like it might be time to move on, or at least, let go. After I went to see Purple Rain on June 7 and then the Tribute of Prince night in London, it started to feel…over.

For me, it’s been a 32-year blast. Hundreds of gigs, thousands of songs and conversations. I never went off the music. Songs in 2015 were as part of my life as ones in 1985. But until now, everything was the present, not wallowing in retrospect.

I don’t mean giving up on being a Prince fan. I’ll buy every note of vault music when it finally gets released, but it will never be new music. It will never set markers in my life as it carries on. I've had a lot going on recently, from family illness, to job changes, to child dramas. Usually I have a Prince album to accompany me on the journey, but no more.

I’m not suggesting a goodbye, but it might be healthy to explore other things, other experiences for a while. At the moment, I still check the org every day. Habit. Always looking out for the next surprise Prince gig, like I have done since it started; or even further back when some of us were the PPML, or AMP, or the Controversy hotline. Prince was like a perpetual hunt for sound and sight.

Anybody else felt like moving on? Not moving on from being a fan, but moving on with life. Some of the longest fans seem quiet of late. Have they moved on already, or retreated for a while? Maybe I should just retire SquirrelMeat, take a break and come back with a different account, asking all the newbie questions that can drive the old timers mad?

How are you feeling? Like you could never bail? Time to assess? When does living an online life in a forum to a dead pop star (and I hate the term 'dead') become unhealthy or obssessive? Or are we more than that? A legacy? A community?

When someone has 'invested,' 'imparted' in your life...does moving on exist? My dad still recalls what his parents and classmates did and said that influenced him. I say the same about Prince. He bent over backwards to impart in our lives. He invested in imparting wisdom in our lives. There is no 'letting go.' There is sharing the love and wisdom and music he gave to us. Yes, I want him to be at peace, but that peace includes he left enough with US to pass it on! Selah.

SquirrelMeat said:

Hey all, I’m not sure where I stand on all the stages of loss type stuff, all I know is, it feels like it might be time to move on, or at least, let go. After I went to see Purple Rain on June 7 and then the Tribute of Prince night in London, it started to feel…over.

For me, it’s been a 32-year blast. Hundreds of gigs, thousands of songs and conversations. I never went off the music. Songs in 2015 were as part of my life as ones in 1985. But until now, everything was the present, not wallowing in retrospect.

I don’t mean giving up on being a Prince fan. I’ll buy every note of vault music when it finally gets released, but it will never be new music. It will never set markers in my life as it carries on. I've had a lot going on recently, from family illness, to job changes, to child dramas. Usually I have a Prince album to accompany me on the journey, but no more.

I’m not suggesting a goodbye, but it might be healthy to explore other things, other experiences for a while. At the moment, I still check the org every day. Habit. Always looking out for the next surprise Prince gig, like I have done since it started; or even further back when some of us were the PPML, or AMP, or the Controversy hotline. Prince was like a perpetual hunt for sound and sight.

Anybody else felt like moving on? Not moving on from being a fan, but moving on with life. Some of the longest fans seem quiet of late. Have they moved on already, or retreated for a while? Maybe I should just retire SquirrelMeat, take a break and come back with a different account, asking all the newbie questions that can drive the old timers mad?

How are you feeling? Like you could never bail? Time to assess? When does living an online life in a forum to a dead pop star (and I hate the term 'dead') become unhealthy or obssessive? Or are we more than that? A legacy? A community?

.

I know what you're saying. I'm kinda in the same boat with things happening in my life. 2016 has sucked! I dare to even question if it can get any worse because I don't want to find out. LOL!

.

I feel like I can't bail now nor do I ever expect to. His music and his fans are his legacy. That's all we have left.