Do You LOVE Her?

"Finding Love makes it worth the pain of searching for it."
-Terry O’Quinn in character as ‘Gavin Doran’
in the 2012 TV series “666 Park Avenue”

Diary/Photo Note from April 28-May 6, 1988

The Depeche Mode “Music for the Masses Tour” on April 28, 1988 was a memorable event.   I recall arriving early and sitting outside of the stadium as we ‘people watched’ the alternative music fanatics.   I loved that OMD (Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark) were playing with Depeche Mode.   This was a 1987/1988 concert tour by in support of the English band's sixth studio album (Music for the Masses) which was released in September 1987.    Jim from the Gym, Christine Hicks, Kelly and I were all so ‘INTO’ this music.  This was the second time the band had traveled behind the Iron Curtain.

The tour began in October 1987 with a European leg, starting in Madrid, SPAIN, finishing mid-November in Paris, France.  In early December 1987, a North American run commenced in San Francisco and culminated three weeks later in New York City.  In January 1988, the group played an eleven-date U.K. tour, which was followed by further dates in Europe beginning in Hamburg, West Germany in early February. The leg wrapped up in Vienna, Austria in late March.

In April 1988, the group played four dates in Japan. This was followed later in the month by the start of a second North American leg, which began in Mountain View, California on April 28, 1988.  
The entire tour concluded mid-June with a concert at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.   The Rose Bowl show was recorded and later released as a live album and video release entitled 101, issued in March 1989. The video included footage documenting the second North American leg of the tour and was re-released on DVD in 2003.

A few days after the concert I was blessed by a surprise visit from Christine and Kelly.    They came to my pad and I could tell they wanted to re-live the concert festivities.   We played music and I set my Polaroid for a group photo.  They make me laugh.   We have such a good time.   Only ‘Jim from the Gym’ was missing.  The four of us were too "Alternative Rockin' 80's Hip" for words. 

On the correspondence front I received another letter from Paloma, dated May 6, 1988.    Paloma wrote:

Agde, France
Dear Michael,
I just got your card and your letter.   Thank you.

I could swear under torture that your Nastassja Kinski poster was in your living room.   That’s really weird.   I guess we’re just getting old.   Enjoy this birthday coming up.   That’s your last one starting with a ‘2’.   Don’t I make you feel good?   Or maybe that’s just because you were my only interest when I was in your house.

Jonathan’s name is JONATHAN and not JONATHON, so please pay attention.   This is the last warning before you get in trouble!

I really hope my downstairs neighbor wont’ keep you busy for a few days.   I don’t think I would love that!

I haven’t seen FATAL ATTRACTION with Glenn Close because maybe you don’t know but this movie is a remake of a movie that made Clint Eastwood (he played in it, too).   I loved it and nobody even mentioned it over here.   Did you know?   Have you seen the first one?

Thank you, Michael.   I’ve known DEPECHE MODE for years and OMD, too.   I just remind you that I don’t live in the Sahara!  Just kidding!

Funny the name they gave to that restaurant (PALOMA).  
Maybe that’s just an old admirer of mine.   You never know.   And don’t tell me “You’re dreaming!”   What do you mean, “Do I believe it?”   Of course, I do.   I am just now waiting for some Paloma statue…or something simple like that.

Talking about marriage…   Well, if you want my opinion I think you should think about it.   You haven’t known her (KELLY) for that long.   Why don’t you try to live with her first?   That’s the best way to find out if it’s going to work.

Also, do you really like her OR do you LOVE her?   That’s different.   Anyway, you know how I feel about marriage.   I think that it is no big deal.   It’s just a piece of paper…after all.   So…if you feel like doing it just give it a try and ask her.

I’ve done worse.   It’s just been two years since I met Alexandre (in March) and Jonathan is going to be one year old in June.   If you think how long it took me to make him that means I didn’t think about it for very long.   And…things are working pretty well.   Believe it or not, it is really rare when I even notice a gorgeous guy in the street.   I am not interested.

But tell me…Why do you want to marry so fast?   Why don’t you live with her (KELLY)? 

By the way, once more…CONGRATULATIONS for your new niece (HOLLY).   You’re just like Uncle Donald now.   That’s great.   Pretty soon you’ll be able to go out with them (that was a mean joke!).

Well Michael…I’ll write again for your Birthday.   Hope to read you soon.  
Love, Paloma

This is really an ugly letter.   Sorry about it.  I wrote it really fast.   Here are two pictures of Jonathan so you can see what he looks like now.  One with his father so you can see that all his beauty comes from his mother!   Alexandre won’t read this letter! 

'Maybe we were fated never to do anything, because knowing it would be so perfect was too much to bear. Maybe the thing to do was to wait for years, until we were both grown up and completely experienced and married, and then meet each other by chance. It was too dreamy to imagine.' 
-Darcy O’Brien, A WAY OF LIFE, LIKE ANY OTHER