Who Is Xena?

On April 14^th, Xena heard a beautiful voice singing with a simple acoustic accompaniment, one of her favourite songs, Tracks of My Tears.  She walked into the room, saw Adam Lambert and she was hooked, watching every subsequent episode of American Idol, saving Adam’s performances to watch repeatedly.  A fierce attraction graduated to all-out obsession once she set the Google Alert for “Adam Lambert” and eliminated all those related to politics, science and current affairs.

A skilled researcher and analyst, Xena searched for some connection, some explanation for this particular obsessive episode. A twenty-seven year old entertainer on a TV show she rarely watched, had invaded her mind and body and once the weekly Adam fix was cut-off, she searched for old music, photos, videos, any manifestation she could use to conjure the euphoria of watching Adam perform.

Her family had seen this before, obsessive/compulsive behaviour had overtaken her occasionally, including a bad case of Scrabble fever, and they usually ended without casualty.  This time they were preparing an intervention.

June 3^rd, Angelica Huston’s article “What is it about Adam Lambert?” appeared on the WOW website and while Xena discovered kindred spirits there, she found few answers.  Everything in life entered a holding pattern as she read, studied and thought about Adam Lambert, a newly purchased iPod Shuffle played his voice on a loop, she surreptitiously cruised the Internet at night, alone in the dark alleys.

Juneau’s articulate and clear voice resonated with Xena, as she too plumbed the depths of her mind to explain the still-underground movement of the Adam addicted, prompting Xena to take an old identity as Xena Princess Warrior for her nom de plume.  She started to write her first essay, “Our Magnificent Obsession” and has not stopped, averaged about one thousand words per day for the first two months, after which she stopped counting.  Adam is a demanding Muse, unrelenting in his presence and inspiration and so intoxicating, he drew Xena up in a brief manic episode, a scary ride for some.  Her close friends and family have “welcomed Xena back” upon emerging from a ten year depression.

Confronted by her family after weeks of her neglect, she blurted out “I’m writing a book!”  This seemed to placate them for a while, but became a reality when she and Juneau found each other off-line and decided to produce a compilation of their web posts in a book “On the Meaning of Adam Lambert”, a first for her.

The other writers at the wowOwow site where she and Juneau shared passion and pain, laughter and tears, grew to become an international support network where they all shared confessions, held hands, gave hugs and inspired one another, good reasons to never leave that heavenly place to face bad weather and grocery lists.  They still live there, with no plans to move out.

Over the years, Xena has worked as a national sales manager, strategist, issues researcher and public policy analyst with various business groups, not for profit associations and institutions, health care facilities and related organizations.  She has experience at all three levels of government in a range of policy areas, including a stint with the Federal Finance Minister.

She completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at York University and her studies included: Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman Art, Mediaeval and Renaissance Art and Architecture as well as African and Modern Art, photography, visual arts, film, political science, biology, sociology and anthropology.

Xena is Canadian born of Macedonian descent who grew up in the Toronto area, has been married to her Dearest Husband (DH) for thirty-three years and they have a nineteen year old daughter, who sometimes considers Adam her “better-looking, over-achieving, older brother”.