The Jackson Lesson: One for the History Books

Yesterday was a hard day for me. I have never truly declared myself a Michael Jackson fan. Fan is short for fanatic. I do not consider myself a fanatic. But I can surely appreciate some good music and smooth dance moves. And that is what I take away from MJ. For as long as I can remember in my childhood, he has always been a highly respected musician. I remember the 45's in our record collection...Jackson 5 albums...the christmas album I always played during the season.

Off the wall, then Thriller. The MTV crossover. The fashion, the dance moves...moon walk, crotch grab, pelvic thrust, a zig zagging silhouette who could pull a mean spin.....

It is hard for me to sit here today and remember all this as I type with a heavy heart......

What is even harder for me is to acknowledge that although Michael died physically yesterday he has really been dead for a much longer time than that. He died when he turned into an adult. There was no way one could argue that he transitioned well. He even penned a song that he said was closest to how he felt in his heart.

Have you seen my Childhood?
I'm searching for the world that I come from
'Cause I've been looking around
In the lost and found of my heart...
No one understands me
They view it as such strange eccentricities...
'Cause I keep kidding around
Like a child, but pardon me...

People say I'm not okay
'Cause I love such elementary things...
It's been my fate to compensate,
for the Childhood
I've never known...

We can argue all day that it was Joe Jackson's fault for thrusting him in the limelight at such a tender age, or we could say that Michael was an adult and should have made decisions based on such, but what no one can deny is that he was truly a revolutionary icon. There is no one in his league. No one. That is why he will be imitated but never truly duplicated.

Now where my girls are concerned, I look at them in their blissful youthful ignorance. They will never truly grasp how big this man is, how brilliant he was. Yes they will appreciate his talent. Much as I have appreciated the talent of those artistes long before my time. But never will they feel the true appreciation that the King of Pop has generated from fanatic followers to passing listeners alike.

The roller coaster life he led also put alot of things in perspective. Fame and fortune cannot replace a happy childhood. You can buy the playground but it still does not compensate for the lack of small childhood joys that come from the most mundane of things. Parents, I charge you to hug your kids. Tell them you love them everyday. Do simple things with them. Run around with them. Color with them. Paint with them. Take them to get ice cream. Make a mess with them. Happy well adjusted kids make happy well adjusted adults. It is our duty as parents to make happy well adjusted little people for the betterment of our society at large.

R.I.P.

Michael Jackson

1958-2009