A Legend Lives On

So, you may have heard that pop icon Michael Jackson passed away last Thursday. It's one of those moments that you'll always remember where you were, what you were doing, how you felt... My mom told me over the phone that my beloved MJ went to the hospital but I didn't believe her because she always talks jibberish. However, I turned on Channel 2 (since I have no cable...) and they corroborated my mom's claim. My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach, and I'm sure it would have ended up in the earth's core and melted if it could sink any further. I was distraught. And the funny thing is, I never knew the guy (big shock). But, I think his death really touched me because of the role he played in my life. It's always easier to dismiss the deaths of those we have never met, have never interacted with, have never been affected by... of course, death is a part of life and people die every day, and those deaths never make the news. It could be a mom, a son, a civilian, a scientist, an cancer patient... and no one makes a fuss about it to the degree of fussage about MJ's death. MJ was a controversial figure in the public eye, the camera lens was always in focus in all corners of his life. He was ridiculed and criticized on his every move, and while you can't say "Oh poor Michael, what a hard life you led, you had everything you ever wanted..." I'm sure he did have a hard life even with fame and fortune and it's not fair to deduce that well, because he was famous he shouldn't complain, he shouldn't have had a hard time at all. He lived his life under a microscope, he had to live up to expectations, starting from when he was a young kid at his dance practices and rehearsals. I know everyone dies and many people die in worse states than Michael, but his contributions to music and even communities worldwide were great and shouldn't be discredited. He was one of the best musicians the music industry has ever seen, the inspiration for many acts that followed, and the soundtrack to many more people's lives. For me, he was my first musical obsession. I remember singing MJ with Ola and Peter in their living room, Peter wearing my black leather jacket and me and Ola being back up dancers. I rememeber getting MJ's HIStory cassette tapes for my birthday one year and jumping up and down and then listening to them forever. The song Little Susie always scared me. I know I obviously wasn't the biggest fan ever, however, Michael was a big part of my growing up and even lately, I had been in an MJ mood, playing his hits in my car and listening to him at the Duchess on the jukebox. Not to mention my horrible attempt at the moonwalk. In any case, I really am sad to see Michael leave, especially when he still had more on his agenda to accomplish. He wasn't done, but his time was stolen from him and that makes me sad. I've seen many celebrities go, but none have really affected me like Michael's since he was the first from "my" generation that I felt attached to and could attach meaning to. I grew up on MJ and I know that many more will continue to grow up on MJ. His music is timeless and will last forever. Michael may be gone physically, but he will have an everlasting presence through his music.

RIP Michael Jackson.