La dolce
Vida

Cara Vida will bring "The Tearjerker Show" to the Folsom Street Fair this Sunday. She is scheduled to perform her cabaret act on the 12th Street stage at 3:15 pm. Here in her own words, is hoe she got there:

"After years of the AIDS plague, losing friend after friend, sickness and death had become ironically 'a way of life'."

"However I could not imagine the monumental loss, re-examination and chage that would occur in my life with the death of my mother."

"Anyone who has been a primary caregiver during a love one' s terminal illness is all too aware of how your world gets smaller. Your attention is focused on the 'now' of another person."

"During the time of my mother's illness, all my usual activities ceased. There had become a jagged routine in my life that left little for me, but the relief and hope of a good night's sleep."

"When my mother died, I shaved my head to mark her passing"

"During this period of grieving, I started going to karoake bars. Not only did karoake help me during my grieving process, but I discovered that I loved singing and entertaining, and formed 'The Three Dynamite Dames'. Later, I decided to pursue a solo cabaret act."

"I am an entertainer who is just coming out of the gate, with a lot of life experience to draw upon. If you go through a life-altering process, hang in there. Ride the waves, watch out for the undertow, and embrace the shore that greets you. That's what I did. And thanks, Mom."