This article was published in the "Martinelli Newspapers" in the June 29, 2006 weekly issue of The Westchester Crusader, The Rye Chronicle, The Eastchester Record, The Pelham Sun, The Sound View News Home News & Times, The Mt. Vernon Independent, Harrison Independent
and North Castle News

Life and Money - "Cheyenne Then Natasha"

By Frank Sisco, CPA, PFS

Copyright 2006 Frank Sisco

(Word count = 903 plus 67 words for About the Author)

I'm still a little off balance from the June 8th concert I attended at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square for Natasha Bedingfield, the main atttraction.   Still savoring and digesting its impact. Two messages echoing in me.   Live your life more fully.   Be passionate and take more chances.

The online orange tickets that cost only $25 were scanned and handed back to me upon entering with my daughter Kelly and her friend JP.   I saved them.   The day after the concert, my wife, Lorrie, asked how it was and I heard myself respond "life-changing, really."

Before Natasha, came Josh Hoge, a young energetic singer with varied tuneful songs.   Then he introduced Cheyenne (Kimball), and not knowing of her, I envisioned a tall cowboy with a big hat and spurs on his boots.   Out walked a very cute girl about five-feet tall with long wavy blond hair, an acoustic guitar almost as big as her, and a huge smile. The stage brightened.   I was standing with Kelly and JP about twenty feet from the stage with a clear view.   I could not stop looking at her.   Not just because she was gorgeous, but also because she was so happy.   Happy to be there with a fantastic band in the spotlight, culminating years of hard work, performing and touring since about nine.   Happy to share her myspace name with the world and welcoming friend requests. (She added me the day after I asked.)   Happy to announce her own reality show on MTV and that she is having a ball.   So there she is, basking in the glow of the good life.   I think she deserves it.   Great performer who is friendly, interactive with the audience.   Appreciative for the opportunities. Pleased that we liked her music and the lyrics and that we clapped along.   I didn't expect thoughtful insightful lyrics from a 15-year-old girl, but I was pleasantly surprised.   In "One Original Thing," Cheyenne affirms:

"Oh, I, need / One original thing   / Baby, I need an original thing   / Something unusual to give me some wings   / Show me one true original thing."

I ran to get a drink of water after Cheyenne's performance and rush back not to miss the opening of Natasha Bedingfield.   Before the concert, I already very much liked Natasha's hit songs "Unwritten," "These Words," and "Drop Me In the Middle," but never saw her perform, not even on television.   The music started and she strutted on stage with a halter-top, low-slung pants, straight shoulder-length blond hair, big eyes, a tight fit body, and a winning smile of confidence.   Oh, my God!   I was stunned by the whole package.   She has the face of a young Sharon Stone, with the style of Madonna, and the smarts of Dylan, Lennon or Springsteen. And only 25 years old!   What I would give to be in her shoes!   To be so talented and at the beginning of a career in the music business.   And to be beautiful to boot.   Then she sang a song I did not know, called "If You're Gonna Jump."   The refrain goes like this:

"Life is music, play it louder   / If you're gonna jump, then jump far, fly like a sky diver / If you're gonna be a singer, then u better be a rockstar   / If you're gonna be a driver, then u better drive a race car   / Cause I'm looking for a guard dog, not buying a chihuahua ."

Like every member of the audience, I thought she was singing it for me.   As we're all singing along, we are jumping up and down, in time to the music.   She's right. Don't do things half way, safely, middle-of-the-road.   Do it all the way.   Be passionate.   I've heard this message before, even preached it at motivational seminars, but I haven't felt it down deep recently until hearing it that Thursday night from Natasha.   And watching her perform her song sank that message into my brain with lots of staying power.   Even now, weeks later, I close my eyes and I see her singing it, smiling to an enraptured sea of people, jumping in unison.   I've already taken certain steps in my life to live more full-out.

So many songs were packed with wonderful meaning.   Her very popular "Unwritten," closed the show.   I looked around as she sang and saw everyone eager to sing along, to proclaim with her the words of her song that give hope and inspiration, for us as individuals and for us as a world of people striving to live our lives fully.   To see our lives as new and beginning.

"I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined /   I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned /Staring at the blank page before you / Open up the dirty window / Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find   / Reaching for something in the distance / So close you can almost taste it / Release your inhibitions / Feel the rain on your skin / No one else can feel it for you / Only you can let it in / No one else, no one else / Can speak the words on your lips   / Drench yourself in words unspoken / Live your life with arms wide open   / Today is where your book begins / The rest is still unwritten."

As I stood there swept away, singing and smiling, I was so very thankful to be there.   Looking forward to write the next pages.

About the author.

Frank Sisco is a CPA and Personal Financial Specialist, and author of many articles about personal finance and issues of life and money.   His firm, Financial Management Corporation, is located in Harrison, NY.  Frank resides with his wife and daughter in New Rochelle, NY.  He can be reached at 914.381.3737 or by email at ideasmoney@aol.com.   Visit his website at www.LifeAndMoney.com, which contains this and prior articles.