This week was dominated by the death of Hayden Panettiere. While I never met her, I was very familiar with her work and even more familiar with the struggles she endured at the hands of the American entertainment industry. I’ve had more friends than I can count who turned to substances to cope with the pain of being used and abused by powerful men who saw them as little more than a dollar sign.

It’s far too common. 

At the time of this post her cause of death was not yet revealed and I refuse to speculate one way or the other, but to be honest, the cause doesn’t matter. She’s gone and no matter how she left this world, there are men, women, and her own child who will never see her again. 

Barbara Eden said it best in a post she made to instagram stating “Losing someone at such a young age (regardless of the cause) often seems to hurt more and is truly devastating, especially to her family. My deepest condolences to her family and friends.”

Simply said, it’s a tragedy. 

Beyond her passing, I’ve continued to write, continued to work, and continued to press forward with my life here in Japan. Life doesn’t stop simply because someone is gone, and in many ways, continuing to move forward has been its own kind of comfort. I also watched the

I also watched the ST☆R original series Santa Evita. The Argentine historical drama stars Natalia Oreiro, Ernesto Alterio, Darío Grandinetti, and Francesc Orella. It follows the final days of Eva Perón and the extraordinary events that unfolded after her death, when her embalmed body disappeared and became the center of a decades-long struggle over her legacy.

To be honest, my knowledge of Eva Perón extended very little beyond the films starring Madonna and Faye Dunaway. Santa Evita gave me an entirely different perspective on her life, her death, and the strange mythology that grew around her afterward.  

What fascinated me most was how much the story is about the power of memory. Eva’s physical presence was gone, but the image of her became almost impossible to destroy. The military dictatorship feared the cult that had grown around her and went to extraordinary lengths to suppress her legacy, only for the attempt to control her memory to make it even more powerful.

It was strange, dark, and thought-provoking. What fascinated me most was the almost mythical story that grew around Eva Perón’s corpse. After her death, her embalmed body disappeared, was secretly moved from place to place, and became the subject of rumors, fear, and political obsession. 

Her physical body was gone, but the legend surrounding it only seemed to grow. There’s something fascinating about the power of loss and remembrance, and how a person can continue to occupy the lives, fears, and imaginations of people long after they’re no longer physically here. In Eva’s case, even her corpse became part of her legend. It’s strange, unsettling, and genuinely mind-boggling.

There was also the earthquake last night. It was early Sunday morning for me here in Japan (mid-day Saturday back in the states). Woken from a dead sleep it was one of the largest I experienced. A few figures fell, but nothing broke (thank goodness) and I retained power, water, and all of the necessities. Still… A littler jarring.

However, I am very happy here in Japan – I’m healthy and I’m thankful.

There will be more soon so… 

Stay Tuned!