Thursday - Jun 25, 2009:I was home for lunch when I learned that Michael Jackson had been taken to the hospital because he had stopped breathing. While there was a part of me that hoped for the best, there was another part of me that knew this was the end of an era. By the very nature of what I do for a living, I know the exact significance of what it means when a person stops breathing - and rarely is it ever good. Because I tend to take late lunches, I went back to work and was back home about an hour later. Michael was still in the hospital. About an hour and a half later; just as I was walking out the door to work a security detail at a local high school graduation ceremony, my wife comes to the door and yells, "Michael Jackson's dead!" I replied, "Naah, he's in the hospital;" to which she replied, "Fox News just reported that he's dead!"
Well ... that sealed the deal for me. Right then and there - somewhere around 5:30pm (EST), I knew Michael was gone because if anyone was going to be on top of the game when it comes to reporting the death of a famous black person it would be Fox News.
I really don't want to use any of the cliche's I've heard over the past several days, but I will use one because I can't get around NOT using it ... "Michael Jackson's music was a part of the soundtrack of my life." I remember dancing to the Jackson 5 whenever they were on Soul Train or whenever my dad played their albums, which was just about every weekend! I can remember when I was in 8th grade & I went on a trip to Ohio with my grandmother. I really didn't want to go, but when I got there I met a girl named Nicole. We clicked from the start and she had become my girlfriend from that point throughout the remainder of my trip ... which ended the following day. A few days after getting home, there was this song on the radio ... "Farewell My Summer Love." Although Nicole and I had become pen-pals for the following couple of years, we never saw each other again. No matter what, if ever I hear that song, I pause and think of her ... ahhh ... young love. So cute.
Then came "Off the Wall," "Thriller," and "Bad" ... Michael was the truth! But there was always something else. Something everyone knew and mostly joked about. For all of his talent as a singer, songwriter, and dancer ... Michael Jackson was always a troubled person, and deep down, that was the Michael I connected with most for some reason.
I've been watching the news and listening to the radio and I'm just disgusted. The hypocrisy is just stifling to me. For as long as I can recall, I would say for every one person who genuinely loved Michael Jackson, there was 5 or more haters. Where's all the "Wacko Jacko" articles & commentaries now? Don't stop now ... hell "Don't stop til you get enough!" There was nothing that man could do that wasn't scrutinized by someone who couldn't do a fraction of all the things he accomplished - BEFORE PUBERTY! Even now, there are people on all the news and talk shows picking apart this man's life; the things he'd done, and the decisions he made. Where do you F'n people come from? Where do you F'n people get off? Yeah ... everyone is entitled to his or her opinion ... but as far as I'm concerned, unless you're grinding to do as much or more than those who are doing more than you, you should keep your opinions to yourself.
I'm glad Michael has gone on.
The day after Michael died there was a crazy thunder storm here in my part of New Jersey. I told people that it was Michael moonwalking through the Pearly Gates & kicking clouds out of the way (the lightning ... well there were angels taking pictures of Farrah Faucett {R.I.P.})!
I'm glad Michael has gone on.
For all of the vultures and locusts out there that he died owing money to ... get yours. Go on and pick the bones. I guarantee you that his body of work will out live whatever debt he left behind. just because he was out of sight over the years does not mean he wasn't in the studio during that time, and I guarantee you that as soon as you've gotten your last little penny of whatever he owed you, his estate will start releasing all kinds of albums (my bad - CD's)! If Tupac Shakur (2Pac) & Christopher Wallace (Notorious B.I.G.) can still put out albums all these years after their passings ... YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET!
You think Elvis was "the King?" YOU HAVE NO IDEA what's about to go down within the next few years - no - the next few decades! Elvis' live accomplishments pale in comparison to Michael's, and now ... now ... NOW ... all I can say is BUCKLE UP!!
I'm glad Michael has gone on.
It was necessary for him to pass on. Now he can rest. Now he can play. Maybe heaven is just like it was in the Robin Williams movie, "What Dreams May Come" where you can be whoever you want to be - and maybe Michael can go back to being that beautiful brown-skinned child with the angelically soul-filled voice. Maybe in heaven, Michael can grow up a handsome brown-skinned man devoid of all of the issues of image that had been thrust upon him during his time amongst us.
We all know that Michael was preparing this huge comeback tour. I believe that he died preparing to give us his all. I believe that God saw just how hard Michael was working and knew how pure his love was for his fans. It's like looking at the speedometer on your car. Based on the numbers on the dashboard, it would appear that your car could travel up to maybe 140 mph, but when you put the petal to the metal, the fastest your car might go will be 110 mph. That's because your car may be equipped with a device called a "governor." It governs the limits of your car's speed.
I believe that God looked down on Michael and said,
"My son, I did not design the human body to have that much energy. You have pushed yourself too far, and I cannot stand to see you push yourself any further. Come home."
I believe that for all of the work that Michael was putting in; the level of production he was planning, the perfection he was infamously known for ... this planet was not worthy of such a performance. I believe God called Michael home so that HE and those He deemed worthy could see that performance in the greatest stadium never made with human hands.
Rest Michael ... Rest in Peace.
HSRjr.
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