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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Hip Dead Folks In Seattle


So there are some pretty cool things to do in Seattle when visiting or even if you happen to live here and don't know what's in your own backyard.

One of Seattle's best kept secrets is our dead celebrities. Here are just two examples of the celebrities that you can expect to see (in our cemeteries) when in town for a weekend or that next business trip.


First up we have Bruce Lee, master of Jeet Kun Do and action film star. There was more to him though than martial arts.

He was very passionate about Jeet Kun Do and wanted to have a school where he could teach others. He was a gifted writer, talented stunt co-ordinator and devoted husband and father.

Hollywood hosed Bruce for many years because of his race. He lost parts in films and tv series because of these prejudices which is too bad. Hollywood just didn't know how big he would be once the general public saw his films. Too bad for them.

Now it's too bad for us. Unfortunately the world lost Bruce Lee on July 20th 1973. He died during the filming of his 5th film, Enter The Dragon.

Through his determination to teach and ability to put aside the racial short comings of others, had Bruce lived he would have done great things to promote not only his style of martial arts, but also his compassion for those that discriminated against him and others to promote awareness and harmony.



Right next to Bruce Lee you will find son and actor, Brandon Lee. Like his father, he was an action film star and died tragically while making his 5th film, The Crow.

I hadn't seen many of his films. In fact the only other one I had seen was Rapid Fire. It's kind of a blur to me now really. I remember being at work though when I had heard Brandon had been killed during filming. I was really taken down by that news. I had been waiting for this film and had wondered how this could have happened and of course what this meant for the film.

The public would get these answer soon enough. This was really tough to swallow for everyone. Not only did a promising actor get cut down in what was surely going to be the start of a huge career, but he was 18 days away from being married!!!
I actually had a lot of respect for Brandon. I didn't know him and he clearly had never heard of me, but I admired him for wanting to act his way and not live in his father's shadow.

We all want to do things our own way and not be our parents. I never want to be like my birthing vessel (mom that I'm currently not speaking to) or her husband (step-father figure) since they have issues that they clearly need to work on.

Instead these days I find myself trying to become a calmer and more understanding person, which is very different from the way I was raised...........in yelling, verbal abruptness and mental chaos. Thank (insert religious figure here) I was an only child and that I could spend hours in my room doing anything but being in the same room with them.

Now I spend my time trying to find that inner peace and to occasionally silence the music and white noise that is constantly in a state of perpetual motion in my head. I also strive to be more like my biological father-he oozes serenity and I've NEVER seen him flustered by anyone or anything. In the end I have accepted that I can be just like one parent and I'd like to think that Brandon, while not wanting to live in his fathers shadow had learned that he could be his own person and still be like one of his parents.............that individual that stood out and wanted to achieve and make a difference his way.

When in Seattle, you can find Bruce and Brandon Lee interned at Lakeview Cemetary on Capitol Hill. Google it and you will find it.

Another famous, interned Seattle resident is Jimi Hendrix. That is a blog for another time.

*disclamer* clearly the head shot of Brandon Lee and the rest in peace action photo of Bruce Lee are not mine, but the photos of the headstones for Bruce and Brandon Lee are mine. I actually happen to be at Lakeview on July 20, 2008 to take these.......35 years after Bruce Lee's death. We had apparently just missed the History Channel film crew and Bruce's widow Linda Lee Caldwell speaking to fans and well wishers there to celebrate Bruce's life. Now that would have been something to attend.


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