Whitney's Back....

I'm a big fan of Whitney Houston, who's staging a 'comeback' after such a long absence from singing. I wasn't going to miss the long-anticipated interview Oprah had with her, airing today and tomorrow. Of course, it isn't necessary to know the personal 'stuff' behind great artists, I always believe that an artist's work should stand by itself. But in Whitney's case, I am so baffled by why she had taken a detour from such a fabulous career. Her voice is amazing and one of the best in show business.

After watching the first hour of today's interview with Oprah, I thought to myself how could a beautiful, strong and talented woman like Whitney got involved with a loser ex-husband for 15 years of her life! I don't get it. They brought out the worst in each other. He was a jealous freak who couldn't hold his own with Whitney. And, in that relationship dynamic, she actually made herself 'catered' to his wants and needs, by allowing him to shine and by being the 'good wife' as
Mrs. Bobby Brown. It was hard to listen to Whitney talk about that difficult phase in her life, including drugs and emotional abuse in her marriage. For someone who appeared to have everything in her life, she actually gave away a lot of her personal power and control to a man who lacks self-worth, self-confidence and self-esteem. To work so hard on a relationship to make it work, and then to compromise so much of who you are to somebody else is not what self-love is. Love is sacrifice of time, effort and heart but it should not be a sacrifice of who one is. They had such a co-dependent relationship. I felt so much pain and hurt for Whitney, and a lot of women in our world who are in the same shoes. I do know that a great man that can be a great partner depends on who and where we are in ourselves. The happy and loving ones find each other, whereas the broken and bored ones also find each other. The older I get the more I see this as the truth.

How could Whitney's life be happy and joyful when all that 'mess' is seething underneath the surface, ultimately exploding. So, it is no surprise that singing became lost in her world when it had brought her the very fame and fortune she has. It was even more profound that she owes her mamma for saving her life. That part of the interview, I cried. She said her mother intervened with the sheriff and gave her an ultimatum, and that scared her husband and that was the turning point for Whitney. For her to be so honest and candid about very personal and difficult issues in her life really allows me to see how much comfort and acceptance of herself and her mistakes she's able to redeem.

When I listen to her new music, especially the song, 'I Look To You' I could see her in that song. I hope to follow part 2 of the interview tomorrow though I do have class in the evening.

Here is a short article from Yahoo news on Whitney:
"CHICAGO - Whitney Houston took drugs, including cocaine and marijuana, with ex-husband Bobby Brown, who was emotionally abusive during their marriage and at one point spit on her, the singer said during an interview that aired Monday on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." "I had so much money and so much access to what I wanted," Houston told Winfrey. "I didn't think about the singing part anymore. I was looking for my young womanhood." After a long absence from music, Houston is staging a career comeback with a new album "I Look to You" released last month and a two-part appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Houston is one of the best-selling artists of all time, but her career stalled as she grappled with drug problems and a troubled marriage to Brown. The couple married in 1992 and were divorced in 2007. During their marriage, Brown was arrested on drug and alcohol charges, and Houston twice entered drug rehabilitation programs. She has custody of their teenage daughter."

I still love Whitney's music especially her 1992 hit 'I Will Always Love You' and 'Waiting to Exhale.' I hope she continues to sing because she's still a young woman even at age 46. Singing is her god-given talent. I believe we all have that and some people know it and some people are still searching for it. When we abandon or let go of our passion, our soul dies too. Whitney's comeback is such an inspiration because I know lots of people especially women who have similar experiences as her. I think we don't have to make the same mistakes over again, but we should learn the wisdom from others. And, we can determine the kind of life and relationships we want for ourselves. Whitney said she was raised a certain way, completely devoted to her marriage vows. I believe she didn't do anything wrong, except the man she picked was wrong for her. Her 'win' over her loser ex-husband, her fight against drug addiction, and to continue to sing make me love her again and listen to her music that I've grown up with. I'm glad Whitney's back...Thanks for reading!