I went to college and graduate school in the 1980s, and Prince was a very dominant musical talent during those years, especially after the release of the movie Purple Rain. I have so many college memories that play in my mind with Prince songs as background music. I was very saddened when I learned of his death, and the sadness stayed with me for a long while, which surprised me. I knew his music was important to me, but I didn’t know how important until he died, and I felt such a loss. So I decided to place a geocache to honor his memory.
I really hadn’t played much Prince in recent years, but his music has always been part of my musical collection (33 LPs, tapes, CDs, and now on my iPod), and when he died, I played it constantly for weeks after his death. I have always really liked “Baby, I’m A Star,” “I Would Die For U,” “When Doves Cry,” “Little Red Corvette,” “1999,” “Raspberry Beret,” “Kiss.” Upon Prince's death, the song that spoke to my heart was, of course, “Purple Rain.”
The geocache is placed very close to a religious community location that is representative of a spiritual organization that was very important to Prince: a Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall. Prince grew up a Seventh Day Adventist, but he became a Jehovah’s Witness (JW) and was involved in a JW community in Minneapolis until his death, and he actually attended JW meetings and participated in the familiar JW door-to-door outreach (in an interview about his JW door-to-door journeys, he said people would say to him, “Gosh, you look just like Prince, the musician,” and he would just say, “Yes, others have said that, too”). I hope the JW beliefs and community brought Prince spiritual peace and hope.
The cache container (3rd one) is small-med and holds some purple (Purple Rain) and red (Little Red Corvette) pens to sign the log. Please try to fit the container snugly back into its home between branches. Also, importantly, please try not to park in the JW parking lot; I believe it is a very private space and will call attention to the cache. The cache is housed in public space, but it is directly adjacent to the hall. Newton Road and a small truck path leading up to the large Meridian Township structure close to the cache provides good parking.
Congratulations to ScouterSteve on FTF - his 6,000th geocache! 6,000 geocaches! ScouterSteve was there first, then I pulled up to check on the cache, and then, about 30 seconds later, dotdotdash arrived, so he gets a nod in the FTF arena, too. Thanks for the help, geo-gentlemen, and congrats to ScouterSteve on 6,000 geocaches. I think the Prince song to listen to in celebration is "Baby, I'm A [geo-] Star!"
Purple Rain
I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted to one time to see you laughing
I only wanted to see you
Laughing in the purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only wanted to see you
Bathing in the purple rain
I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend
Baby, I could never steal you from another
It's such a shame our friendship had to end
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only wanted to see you
Underneath the purple rain
Honey, I know, I know
I know times are changing
It's time we all reach out
For something new, that means you too
You say you want a leader
But you can't seem to make up your mind
I think you better close it
And let me guide you to the purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
If you know what I'm singing about up here
C'mon, raise your hand
Purple rain, purple rain
I only want to see you
Only want to see you
In the purple rain