I know most, if not the whole world, is still grieving about Michael Jackson’s death. In my case though, I have only just begun my mourning. When I first got the text message of MJ’s death very early in the morning last June 26 (He died June 25, 3:24pm Pacific Time) I thought I was just dreaming. It was my hell week for the commemorative book project that I was going nuts over (and losing precious sleep over too) which explains why the tragic and shocking news didn’t enter my fuzzy sphere of reality that time. Sorry Michael I was too sleepy and tired to bother about your death.
Now that I’m back in my “senses” I feel so left out. I regret missing up on a lot, if not all, of the specials and tributes that were showing simultaneously on several channels up until his grand memorial last July 7 in Los Angeles, which was aired LIVE on CNN for the all the world to witness. I cried watching the memorial service not only because I am an MJ fan but also because I was reminded of the fact that despite having a strange life, he was still human just like all of us – he had a family, children, and a childhood that paved the way for his success… and also his sadness.
He was planning a comeback concert but God had already planned his farewell gig. Come to think of it, I think it was better this way. Imagine if he continued to live on ‘til he was 60 or 70 but with the tabloids still eating him up? He might as well be the dead. The world is cruel and that will NEVER change. When he sang “Heal the World” he was most probably singing about his hope for his own healing. Michael, though he was a superstar, is still that shy and insecure kid that all the bullies would love to pick on. You and I at some point in our lives were bullies to him. The paparazzi bullied him. The tabloids bullied him. The industry bullied him. We bullied him by wanting to own every little piece of him through media. I wonder sometimes, is his MUSIC not enough to entertain us? Do we really have to fuel the evilness of media by wanting to know more of his personal life… by dredging in the dirt? What did we gain then out of it? In the end, we even lost him.
Michael Jackson’s demise should remind us to respect people even if we deem them unworthy of such. We should not judge. We should not hate. We should not ridicule. It’s ironic how everybody only stops talking trash about someone when that person is already dead. Why can’t we say nice words to people when they’re still alive? When they still need it? Michael needed a lot of love and though he gave his heart to the world through his music, he didn’t get any love back.
What was your stand when he was being tried for child molestation? What did you think when his skin was turning white? What was your reaction when he was seen “dangling” his baby out the window? Maybe you had a good laugh back then. Maybe you believed the accusations. Maybe you think he deserved it. If you did then maybe you have no right to cry over his passing after all.
2 comments:
When he was tried for child molestation, I didn't believe it. He always struck me as asexual. Sure he was being a bit naive by thinking it's okay to sleep, as in literally sleep, with a child, but I never thought it was wrong.
When his skin turned white, I really honestly believed it when he said he had a skin condition. We had a neighbor who's like that--he had white patches all over him. So it was very easy for me to believe that.
Now, when he showed off Blanket, I went, "Oh dear, he could've dropped him!" But he didn't. And when I had my nieces later on, I used to throw them in the air and barely catch them. Oops!
So, in my eyes, he didn't do anything wrong. He was a child in a man's body. And I guess people couldn't accept that.
It was when he passed away that I came to realize that MJ has been longing for a "real ordinary life" You are right, God must have taken him because He doesn't want to let MJ reach his 60's with the media still chasing him.
A year ago, I watched a documentary about him (so many times)- Living with Michael Jackson.I would say that I was educated with the way he was living his life then but my understanding was just shallow with some questions on the side.When he died, it started to sink in me.He's a good person,a blessed one who wanted to make a difference in the world.Unfortunately, when his acts seemed to be unusual for the media, people have put accusations on him instead.
Man in the Mirror, Heal the World, You're not alone,and She's out of my life are songs that could speak a lot to me about his emotions.His songs are so deep which could only come from one's deepest emotions.
Right now, I'm imagining...maybe MJ has always been wishing to live a normal life - a life without boundaries, a life with true freedom.Imagine...he might have been dreaming of that for almost 50 years of his life.Probably,at one point of his life he has experienced wishing to end his life because he's tired of being so famous.
You know,it's kinda freaky to know that the title of his upcoming concert is THIS IS IT! The idea connotes something that is grandeur...especial...final. Instead of having MJ do his especial concert for 2009, God has chosen to lay him down to rest.Maybe God was telling,"That's enough Michael..."
(Thank you for posting this blog A.Jill.It helped me grieve over MJ's death.)
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