elizabeth taylor

I just love Elizabeth Taylor. Always have, always will. She is an amazing woman in so very many ways. She is an inspiration to any and all of us who are "of a certain age"....and for me it's mostly because she has suffered in so many ways, yet, perseveres...and always has.

I remember when Mike Todd, her then husband who she seemed truly crazy about, was killed in a plane crash. I cried for her. No, I don't know her...(but I sure wish I did)....
Elizabeth Taylor has been in my life almost as long as I have been alive. She was a stunning child, and a stunning child actress...starting at 5 or 6 years old...a beautiful child who grew into an even more beautiful woman. And when Mike Todd died...it just seemed so truly tragic that when this 'icon' even then, had finally been swept away by the love of her life...she should lose him. She herself was almost on that plane that crashed. If that had been the case...what I'm writing now would have absolutely no meaning whatsoever! If that had happened, most of you wouldn't even know who I was writing about...in fact, you may not know now...since Taylor's Movie Star status was a long time ago....but just to give you a context: She was bigger than anyone you can name today, and I mean anyone! Trust me on this!

But, Elizabeth Taylor was not on that plane because she was sick and didn't think she should go...Was this fate? I don't know. I just know she didn't die in that plane crash as everyone who was on that plane did....
Elizebeth Taylor went on to make God knows how many movies...marry, all together as of this writing, 8 times....She went on to win two Academy Awards....And then later went on to bring AIDS to the forefront as no other person had been able to do up to that time. And it was because somebody she dearly loved died of this dreaded disease. What she did when her dear friend Rock Hudson died was incredibly wonderful and completely selflessly brave. She used her "celebrity" to put a real face to a disease that up to that time had been treated as if it was the piriah of our age because it was then associated with mostly gay men. (And unfortunately it still is by many people when that is not the case at all, at this point in time....). God Bless Elizabeth Taylor. She is a survivor and just recently even, appeared at an AMFAR Benefit and I understand from people who were there that she was in a wheelchair but rose up out of it by herself, not accepting the help that was offered to her, and spoke once again with great passion saying...'it's still out there and it is not over by any means so must keep fighting....', inspsiring all who were there at that event with her continued dedication to this cause in spite of her own health problems.

To be so incredibly beautiful and talented and smart and funny and real, in a town that thrives on a lot of 'unreal' and on cutting people down when this 'business of show' feels they have gotten too big for their britches...and to know so clearly who she was and is in spite of the tabloids, the leeches, and the hangers on who will shoot you down at every turn just to make themselves feel better----this, is a great broad. (I can say that being a broad, myself. )
To raise four...count them...4 children, all of whom are decent productive caring sensitive human beings....in the eye of all the tabloid malarky.....this is a terrific woman!And, Miss Taylor has always been 'true to herself'...and I quote for the umpteenth time..."This above all to thine own self be true, And it nust follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man..." William Shakespeare, from "Hamlet"...Polonius to his son Leartes....Elizabeth Taylor personifies this being "true to yourself", God Bless Her.To be as big a movie star as she has been for...what.....almost 70 years? And to survive in 'the eye of the celebrity storm'....well my God, I wish I did know her. I just posted my 214th post...(well, somethimg like that...) And being only eight months older than her and living with the health problems I live with....I read about her and the incredible things she has survived physically and she still continues to press on and show up for the important things in this life....Well, this inspires me.


That story I reported in my Andy Warhol post, says so very much about Elizabeth Taylor and the truth of her life, and the misconceptions that abound! It took one of her dear sons who loves her and has a close relationship with her, to set the record straight on her feelings about Andy Warhol and the series of paintings he did of her. I'm sure it made a good story to certain people to believe she had no interest in those paintings, but to me, the better story is that she has one of the paintings hanging in her bedroom.

Often great great beauty is given a 'free pass'. Well, Elizabeth Taylor never got a free pass. (Oh I can hear the naysayers and the cynical among you doubting this....). Well, you are wrong, truly. She never ever really got a free pass. She was vilified and practically strung up and hung by the press, "back in the day", (except for the time she almost died of pneumonia and then she was given the Academy Award for "Butterfield 8" when she should have gotten it for "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof", but didn't...)....And guess what...(Paraphrasing Stephen Sondheim) She's still here! Yeah! (I smile...) She is still here!!!
And I say...LONG MAY SHE WAVE!

I LOVE YOU, ELIZABETH....I always have and I always will.

More To Come.....