We are all sensitive creatures. A great deal of our lives are spent covering up that sensitivity… but when we open to it, a plethora of gold dust can fall into our pockets.

Sometimes it’s our own pain and loss that allows us to feel. It’s scary at first, but once we begin to trust it, our levels of compassion are greater, as well as our ability to understand more and judge less.

In 1996, I wrote song in New York about someone I had as much in common with or for that matter interest, as a tiger and a lily. Princess Diana was far from my maddenning crowd. I lived in New York on the lower east side and was struggling to pay rent. Are paths did not intersect. All that I knew about this woman was that she was a sun sign Cancer, married young, had eating disorders, but dressed well.

For some reason though, a song came to me, I recorded it and performed it a club in London along with my friends, the Lambeats (aka Sui Generes). One of the lyrics in the tune referred to the green, meaning money, so we stamped paper dollars with the Princess’s name and threw them at the audience. The whole thing went over like a lead balloon.

Two years later she dies. It was the eeriest moment for me. When you read some of the lyrics, perhaps you’ll understand why.
 

Princess Di, princess Di, my oh my, oh my,
What have they done to you,
What are they playing at,
And will the green reduce the pain?

London b ridges falling down,
Got to leave this tear-soaked town,
Keep the boys close to your hips,
Not a rumor from you lips.

She’s a make-believe,
She’s every girls’ dream,
But why does she starve,
And why does she scream?

Now here’s the weird bit:
 

Princess Di is on the mend,
Will she go around the bend?
WISH her well and set her free,
Remember that, she could be me.

I don’t think for a minute that I’m any more psychic than anyone else. I do believe that something about this woman’s pain touched a chord in me. That there was an identification with some aspect of her psyche, yes. I believe that’s why her passing had such a profound effect on so many. That something about her vulnerability allowed parts of our own vulnerability to open up.

We don’t need a Princess Diana to remember that we are all more alike than different. That black skin hurts as much as white skin when it’s pierced, that Jewish hearts break as deeply as Catholics’ hearts and that men feel sadness as much as women.

When we stop fearing each other so much, perhaps that’s when our natural levels of compassion can begin to soar. And when we remember how much we are joined by this "one mind", perhaps we can actually start being nicer with one another.
 

PRINCESS DI, PRINCESS DI,
MY OH MY, OH MY, ….

REMEMBER THAT, SHE COULD BE ME.