Perspective/Acceptance
My apologies if this isn’t welcome. This is meant in the spirit of nuance, and discussing the reality of being a flawed human being. I don’t mean to open a can of worms, I want to share these feelings in his passing as a staunch feminist married to a man 2 decades my senior - stick with me.
I’ve found myself at odds with a narrative that doesn’t seem to reflect Glen’s intent or heart. I find a choice made at a weird age off putting — but also maybe it happened for a reason, a (swell) season and a lifetime. It sounds like they were lucky enough to move through all three.
I don’t claim to speak for anyone, but I do speak from my own place of agency, and an understanding of complex trauma alongside grooming.
We can’t claim to fight for women’s agency — and in the same breath take it away. The looks my husband and I receive are hurtful, judgemental — they say “oh this poor woman must be so stupid she fell for a predator”. I must be foolish, and he must be evil. Complete binary: as if humans are just black and white choices.
Glen was a man who encouraged EVERYONE, he treated every musician as his equal — not because of age, gender or even skill. Nothing swayed one way or the other, his support and kindness was for everyone.
I’ve put myself in the shoes of a woman whose mind is being told to her is broken or wrong, a title of victim placed on her without consent — whose love and loyalty is being tainted, and whose opinion of Glen was just as all encompassing as we all felt around him/through his music.
Not every story of this older men/younger woman troupe ends well, most don’t. We aren’t fools. It doesn’t mean all of them are based in malice, intent, control, abuse — which must mean that in a lot of cases there is real, empathetic, loving and fulfilling supportive love.
My husband is also a musician. He’s older by 22 years. He’s warm, kind, compassionate, a strong leader, he cares for me, protects me, challenges me — he brings to my life a level of stability, calm and emotional support and encouragement that I’ve only experienced an ounce of dating younger/my age men.
On top of that, we bring out each other’s inner child. We frequently say we both just feel like teenagers again around each other. There is something we both bring to each other that is light and gay (shout out Billie H). My proximity to youth reminds him of the longer life that he experienced in a blink.
The human in me understands that people are messy, life isn’t best lived in fear of others judgements, and I see at least two women he loved mourning deeply.
I trust these woman, I trust their judgement — their proximity to him — and their recognition of his big, beautiful heart.
I met my husband on the same day of Glen’s passing. An anniversary turned wake this year, but I believe the universe tapped me on the shoulder and said “you get it”
**Now, I’ll never forgive the fucker for dying on the same day I met my husband (lol) but even that feels very Glen, it feels aligned with the big griefs and the big joys in my life. I got my musician old man daddy husband and another musician old man daddy nodded** 😅 **(I am purposely adding a touch of age gap humour here lol).**
RIP Glen — I’ll miss you so terribly.
Thank you, thank you - thank you. Thank you.
PS yes — I purposely left out our ages ;)
Dude wrote a whole essay