This flood of tender memories set forth by the sudden passing of Michael Jackson has taken me somewhat by surprise, setting my fingertips twittering away. Many things have been said about him by many people, but no truer words have been stated on the subject of the king of pop than these. He was like no one the world had ever seen before him. Below is a running commentary taken mostly from my statements on Twitter over the past couple days about a most amazing performer and fascinating individual. Whether you were a fan or not, surely you recognized that stars who shine so brightly come along very few and far between.
* Just turned my computer on and learned about death of Michael Jackson. My youth is officially done. One glove - One love.
* Two well known people in history, for better or worse, never gave up grasp on childhood. Michael Jackson was Peter Pan personified.
* He was rightfully considered by many to be a freak, but Tinseltown & Motown are both full of those. MJ's freaky side was simply more publicized than most. As for the horrendous criminal charges that were brought against him, innocent until guilt proven is the rule of our land. He was convicted of nothing. MJ probably was asexual, not a molester. As bizarre as he came to be seen, it was a strangeness accompanied by the aura of innocence.
* How will I remember Michael Jackson out of all his legendary images? That amazingly talented boy & young man who every black kid idolized.
* As a lover of music and musical performance I remember life before the video for Thriller, and then, the way we SAW music forever changed.
* The ultimate icons of my lifetime to date - Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, and Michael Jackson. Unlike the first two, the third one didn't get to fulfill his comeback.
* I will ALWAYS remember tribute show for Berry Gordy when the Jackson brothers performed & then gave way to breathtaking Michael Jackson solo performance.
* Have Friday off and finally getting to watch some Wimbeldon action on TV. More gray skies and raindrops outside. TV on mute with Thriller 25 on IPOD. Not a bad way to spend a day at all.
* http://bit.ly/XehtP Young Michael Jackson singing Ben live in Japan. So talented at such a young age. What a gift he was given, one that he certainly didn't squander.
* Did Michael Jackson set himself up to be the butt of jokes? Certainly. The skin lightening, cosmetic surgeries, feminine quality, eccentric behavior, and most damning, the child molestation accusations (which if he was guilty I say good riddance, but like I said before, I don't believe he was). I understand the urge by some to make jokes at his expense, particularly those who aren't huge fans of his music. But bottom line is that a single father of 3 kids died at 50. There simply is nothing funny about that. Feel free not to praise him, feel free not to miss him, but for at least a day or two, don't mock. Is that so much to ask for? Would you not want and expect the same courtesy?
* http://bit.ly/uljuz - Lisa Marie Presley speaks about MJ on her MySpace page. She has interesting, poignant things to say about the man she was once married to.
* Cranked MJ compilation this morning. Great way to get started on sunny day along with cup of coffee. No cuss words to guard my daughter's ears from. Then I went running with his music coming through headphones and although I'm not much of a runner, today I felt like I could keep my legs pumping forever, or at least until the last note.
* Favorite Michael Jackson memory: My first job was as a summer camp counselor. For final day ceremony we put on a show for parents. I was a counselor for kids 7-9. Boys & girls did separate routines. The girls adorably performed Stop in the Name of Love and the boys performed Dancing Machine. Those kids were great. The lead on Dancing Machine was a really talented little guy who did an amazing job of channeling Michael. Rehearsals were a blast and they came through like pros at the show.
* Yes, I once owned a replica of a Michael Jackson jacket received as a Christmas gift. I certainly wasn't the only one.
* Trip to visit family this weekend supposed to be an hour drive but time doubled due to heavy traffic. We found a radio station playing a Michael Jackson marathon so all was good. Easy to lose track of how much great music he produced in his lifetime of arrested boyhood and immeasurable talent.
Michael Jackson did not get to live in much peace but I sure hopes he gets to RIP.
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