Michael Jackson is no more!
I grew up hearing his songs, mimicing dance moves, learning “break dance” from the mysterious appeal his graceful moves had. I heard of allegations of abuse, and saw them as a price of celebrity, without really believing one way or the other. Many judged him harshly about his changed looks.
Yet, if I have to think of the King of Pop, I don’t remember news headlines, but hours spent memorizing videos to catch nuances of moves, trying to spin with the kind of speed……… writing down and learning lyrics of favourite songs…..
Somehow, the music, and the gossip were so separate, it may not have been the same person.
Today, I got an SMS about his death. Hadn’t thought of him for a long time, and when I did, it was with all the snobbery of a grown up person who doesn’t really pay attention to “has been” celebrities. What I hadn’t expected was the sorrow I felt for the loss a man I barely knew beyond hearing his songs and knowing that the colour of his skin changed over time, and that there had been accusations about him in the news.
I found myself searching for news about what happened. Why did he die?
I read about his life, his struggles, his childhood, family, career, medications, surgeries, home……. and for the first time, this man was very real to me. A man who made lemonade with lemons he got, shared generously when he had fortune, had his share of good and bad luck, his share of insecurities, quirks, obsession with childhood and the quest for what he had missed…..
For someone who had a very public life, had been described as a character more than a person, and had admitted that he preferred the stage and real life people terrified him, Michael Jackson’s life, feelings, motivations and circumstances are so transparent in this moment, that I can’t help but think, how much real can we get than to have our deepest hurts, fears and vulnerabilities out there for anyone to know?
Jacko was human. He took the world by storm. He died. Whether he was perfect is irrelevant. What matters is that he made his mark. What matters is that he changed countless lives with his talent and generosity. What matters is that he will be missed.
July 20th, 20092:06 pm at
MJ will be alive in our hearts forever. He was best among best
“Heal The World”
There’s A Place In
Your Heart
And I Know That It Is Love
And This Place Could
Be Much
Brighter Than Tomorrow
And If You Really Try
You’ll Find There’s No Need
To Cry
In This Place You’ll Feel
There’s No Hurt Or Sorrow
There Are Ways
To Get There
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
Make A Better Place…
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
If You Want To Know Why
There’s A Love That
Cannot Lie
Love Is Strong
It Only Cares For
Joyful Giving
If We Try
We Shall See
In This Bliss
We Cannot Feel
Fear Or Dread
We Stop Existing And
Start Living
Then It Feels That Always
Love’s Enough For
Us Growing
So Make A Better World
Make A Better World…
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Dream We Were
Conceived In
Will Reveal A Joyful Face
And The World We
Once Believed In
Will Shine Again In Grace
Then Why Do We Keep
Strangling Life
Wound This Earth
Crucify Its Soul
Though It’s Plain To See
This World Is Heavenly
Be God’s Glow
We Could Fly So High
Let Our Spirits Never Die
In My Heart
I Feel You Are All
My Brothers
Create A World With
No Fear
Together We’ll Cry
Happy Tears
See The Nations Turn
Their Swords
Into Plowshares
We Could Really Get There
If You Cared Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
To Make A Better Place…
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me