Michael Jackson--A Thought

Here Today—Gone Tomorrow

Like A Castle Built Upon A Sandy Beach--Gone Too Soon

“Gone Too Soon”

-Michael Jackson

I did the moonwalk across my bedroom floor. I posed. I twitched and attempted to dance like the King of Pop. I believed in “The Man in the Mirror”. I knew I could make a change. Michael said so. We could “Heal the World”. If we would all just agree and believe and try to find that common ground—then we could find salvation together and “make it a better place for you and for me”. Those memories remain with me as the passing of a pop icon fills the TV screens and swamps the radio airwaves.

Michael Jackson was vilified by the media for his sexual escapades, the questionable qualms of a strange musician, the never ending nose jobs, the always changing pigment of his skin to the point that he fled the country to find residence in Dubai where he might escape exploitation and mockery. Did his death dull his deviations from the norm? Have we forgotten who he was? Both musician and maniac? Both artistic and deranged? We’ve glossed over his shortcomings in the shadow of his death but as we mourn his passing it would be unjust to forget his shortcomings. To celebrate Michael is to celebrate all he was—the good and the bad—not just as an artist.

Countless allegations have been made to his sexuality—was he a homosexual? Pedophile? Many charges were made—most were dropped. Where does his mental state fit into the picture? It’d be easy to vilify Jackson as a man with a fetish for young boys but how childlike did Michael appear even later in life? Could he not have the mind of a child and prefer the company of children? Strange—yes—but criminal? That’s not for me to say—just to force you to question.

His music is legendary. His dance moves imitated and influenced everyone popping and locking and moon walking to this day. The Jackson 5 were phenomenal and their songs remains popular across the nation.

The nation grieves and many call for a national day of remembrance for his iconic career--but why? Haven’t there been other artists that passed that were just as legendary? Not only artists—but humanitarians and scholars and doctors and scientist. On top of that—what about our soldiers? The ones who voluntarily give their lives? Don’t get it twisted—Michael’s life was as meaningful as the next but it’s unfair to other fallen people to elevate his convoluted life to the level of a saint.

In short—let us grieve but let us move forward. Michael Jackson was an artist and a man and nothing else. He was not a martyr or a saint. He lived, he sang songs that will last forever, and he died. Alone. Because we’d forgotten about him. Because we vilified him and ostracized him.

May you rest in peace Michael. We’ll remember your music, your passion, your brilliance, your zipper jacket and the Thriller dance. But it’ll hard to forget the rest.

“Here today, gone tomorrow—

But I know one thing—

I’ll be one tough act to follow,

I’ll be on tough act to follow”.

-Eminem