Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] Thanks to Powderworks & Quiz Answer for MTV Unplugged

Margaret Benzer benzer@mail.mc.maricopa.edu
Tue, 10 Dec 2002 10:28:52 -0700


The past week has made me reflect and realize what a special community the
Powderworks group is.  I think most of it is due to our appreciation of
Midnight Oil and their ideals.  Yes, we sometimes get the ideological fights,
but that happens in any family from time to time.

When I set up the quiz regarding my animals last week, I originally had only
four copies of the MTV Unplugged.  Because of the response, I ended up making a
copy for each of the people who responded.  I am still waiting for addresses
from Stuart, Kiri, and Tim G.  Congratulations to Par in Sweden who guessed on
the first try that I never had a dog, what most people have had but not me.
Yes, I am unusual, but my father didn't want one digging up the yard, and with
my work and cat show schedule, I am gone too much now to give one the proper
attention it needs.  Maybe one day in the future.  What surprised me was
hearing from people to whom I had sent CDs in the past who remembered me
talking about my animals.

Just over two years ago, I wrote one of the most difficult emails I have ever
written and sent it to this list.  I sent a similar one to a bulletin board of
another local band whom I also loved at that time.  The warmth and support from
this list was amazing.  (The other board's reaction should have given me a good
indication of the nastiness of some of the fans.  It took me another year
before I left their board due to the ugliness of the fans, although I have met
the lead singer/founder and even he is disgusted by how cold-hearted they
are.)  Powderworks has, and should continue to be, a group of fans which not
only loves the music of Midnight Oil but stives to live the ideals, which I
know many of us do.

And for those of you who weren't on the list, to sum up what happened, I was
lying in the bedroom of my apartment, waiting for my migraine medicine to
work.  As soon as it kicked in, I was going to go to my parent's house for my
birthday cake because no one could face it the day before after having eaten so
much at the restaurant.  Unfortunately, I heard the kid from the next apartment
get hit by a car and thrown to the pavement.  He didn't survive.  Needless to
say, I didn't sleep that night and came in the next day, writing to the list to
remind everyone to tell their children everyday how much they love them.  You
never know how much time you have.

For those of you interested, I did get to know the mother better after that.
She did quit yelling at her kids (that was the only way I knew her before the
accident).  Her other two kids would spend time at my place, playing with my
cats and tortoises.  I broke my lease in May 2001, moving into my townhouse
where I have a room devoted to the reptiles and arachnids (the tortoises have
moved outdoors now).  The family was going to move out in June when school
ended.  They were going to move back to California to be closer to the mother's
family.  I wish I had kept in touch, but that complex held bad memories.  I had
to have some therapy sessions for post-traumatic stress because I didn't sleep
for almost a month.

I have met so many people on this list, some only in emails and others in
person, that I would have never have had the chance before.  When Brian Perkins
held the West Coast Weekend at his place in August 2000 when The Real Thing
tour didn't come to the US, I went to Portland and stayed with Mai, whom I
incidently met through another music list devoted to African musician Johnny
Clegg but she is a good friend of Brian (funny how small the world is).  I went
to Vegas with my sister and met up with more Powderworkers last October for the
House of Blues show.  Buying Ghostwriters' CDs in bulk to save on shipping...so
many people that I have met.  Too many to name.  I want to thank you all.  And
especially, I want to thank the guys in Midnight Oil for the two shows I did
see last year and for all of the music they produced over the years.

Margaret

P.S.  I plan on staying on the list as long as Colorado State lets us stay.
There are still too many shows to weed out there.