Those who know me know that I do not play about Hugh Jackman.
I have consumed almost every piece of media relevant to him. The movies, interviews, and most certainly the musicals.
His Broadway debut exists within the confines of a cheesy musical entitled The Boy from Oz, which is a telling of the life of singer/songwriter Peter Allen. It details the ups and downs of his life, putting to song the experience of a rough childhood, stardom, grappling with sexuality, and more. I actually really enjoyed it…“slime tutorial” quality and all.
The intro to the musical itself is a song called “The Lives of Me,” an intro to our main character as he performs a look back on himself and all the lives he has lived. Through his lyrics (and Hugh’s dreamy voice), he tells us that “Everywhere I go, I am followed by a lot of people” and that “If you could see all the people, they’re everything I ever was and everyone I ever will be, all the lives of me.”
This song once unironically went platinum in my headphones, and found its way back this week after Apple Music’s pre-made “Audney’s Radio” played it out of the blue.
Which got me to thinking… I am 21 years old, and yet have already lived so many lives it seems.
With an accumulation of “phases,” dozens of jobs, and millions of side quests, I couldn’t help but consider all the lives of…ME. The “people” so-called “following me” for the rest of my existence are really just alternative versions of myself.
On the surface level, of course, there is middle school me, and high school me, etc.
But looking beyond the obvious, there is miserable Walmart cashier me, the me who didn’t talk to anyone for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic *and enjoyed it*, the child who was convinced her dream career was to be a truck driver, and cool pink-apron waitress me.
Academic challenge bowl champion me, and couldn’t get through geometry without raging over IXL me. Coffee hater me, and Starbucks barista me. You get the point. I could probably think of dozens more.
The more “lives” you collect, the more complex an individual you become. What a gift it is to be able to change so much in one decade-long span of time, and an even bigger gift to be able to hold onto pieces of everything throughout the way.
So… what are “all the lives” of you?