What I Learned from Bruce Springsteen
Happy birthday Boss! Bruce Springsteen turned 65 this week, and the rockstar continues to inspire me. The first weekend I moved to New Jersey, my then-boyfriend and I went to Livingston Mall. We slept there overnight to get tickets to Bruce’s show. They were probably second from the last row. Maybe six months later I was hired to do the makeup for this album cover—a Christmas album—and Bruce was one of the many rockstars on the album. I got to touch up his face, which was a big deal for this born again Jersey girl. He’s kind of like a religion. All of my boyfriends, and the man I married, have been giant Bruce guys.
Sometime around the 12.12.12 concert (a fundraiser for Hurricane Sandy relief), I was hired to do Bruce’s wife’s makeup and got to spend a good 24 hours with them. It was one of those days I really cherished. I’ve learned a lot from Bruce, including that you can be ageless. How you take care of yourself absolutely affects the way you look and feel. It’s not just what you do on stage, it’s how you live your life. He’s also proof that you can have an incredibly successful career, but still be a loving husband and incredible father; he really cherishes the things that matter. That’s why he’s so involved in local causes, like the New Jersey Food Bank and the Bob Woodruff Foundation. He’s passionate about giving back, even with all of his touring.
I learned one more thing from Bruce: the perfect post-stage snack is a slice of Ezekiel bread with almond butter and jelly. It’s what I eat after a show or appearance, when everyone else is eating pizza. And it’s what the Boss eats when he gets off the stage.
