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Hello. My name is K'vitsh (well, Heather, actually) and I'm going to be writing the odd pop culture feature here at PCL Link Dump. If you have any ideas for a clever name for this thing, let me know.

My inaugural piece will be short, but heartfelt.

Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of the death of John Lennon. It was a bittersweet day for me.

Sad, of course. The world would be a sweeter place if he were still around, undoubtedly. I was only seven when he was shot, so my memories of him and the event were formed after the fact.

His impact on my life was a powerful one, nonetheless.

I saw a weird documentary about him on television when I was a teenager, and my life has never been the same. Though I'd certainly heard of the Beatles and Lennon and was a fan, I didn't focus too much of my attention on him. That t.v. show, however, with its odd narrative and visuals, drew me in. From it, I learned that Lennon was clever, witty, sarcastic, and weird.

I was in platonic love.

From that day forward, for the next few years, I consumed everything I could get my hands on: records, books, pictures.

Though I was a drug-free virgin girl in Canada who didn't play an instrument, I felt a profound kinship with Lennon. Somehow, he helped me through some dark years and I will always be grateful for the joy he brought to my life.

My zen teacher said a few words for him this week. Among the things she offered was this:

A bird sings because it has a song, not because it knows the answer.

I found this a lovely sentiment. It illustrates perfectly why he had such an impact on me. He had flaws and didn't hide them. Yet, he was magnificent.

He showed that even though you struggle with anger, hard feelings, trauma, a person is capable of rising above it, if only sometimes, to touch people and make the world a better and more magical place.

That's what art is for, after all, isn't it?

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If you want to leave feedback on any of my columns, you can comment here, or email me at kvitsh@gmail.com.

P.S. - Please listen to my radio show tonight (6-7 p.m. MST) when I'll be devoting the whole hour to Lennon.