I am turned off by our cultures inability to take time to grieve. In the short time since Michael Jackson died, I’ve read scathing bitter commentary about the man’s life. I’ve watched as the media has raced to unravel his drug history, financial holdings, and raised questions about custody of his kids. What is the hurry?
Michael Jackson is dead. He was imperfect. He made bad choices. He hurt people. He was human. It will take time to come to a conclusion about his death. All the other questions will get answered in the court or within his family. And the media will have all the time in the world to milk those stories for all the advertising bucks they can.
What is so wrong with simply remembering him as a singer and dancer who reached millions of people. His music brought people together at basement parties, social halls, backyard picnics, high-school gyms,clubs, parties, and at weddings. To me, that’s not a bad legacy.
This video beautifully captures the dilemma.
4wrdthnkndad
7 Comments
Thank you for this. I couldn’t agree more. But there was a moment in the past few days that made me smile, that made me really appreciate people.
It wasn’t the endless yammering on the cable news outlets. It wasn’t the back to back showing of his videos (though I thoroughly enjoyed it).
It was video of a street in London jammed for blocks with hundreds, maybe thousands of people, all of them doing the dance routine from Thriller.
It was a joyful thing to watch and undoubtedly even more joyful to be part of. It expressed appreciation to an artist in a way he would have liked best – through dance.
Michael Jackson was a tragic human being and a gifted creative artist. I liked knowing that this massive dance-in would have been very gratifying for both sides of him.
After watching, I concluded that people truly do talk too much.
Thanks Susan. From my experience, find me a talented artist, and you’re likely to also find a troubled soul. And the struggle doesn’t need to distract from the talent. I really don’t know anything about his personal demons. What I do know is I continue to get that surge of energy to get up, dance and sing, when I hear ABC..
The media is doing what the media always does – giving the public what it wants, or convinces us “we” want.
If Jackson’s death does nothing else, it reminds us of important lessons:
We never truly know a person, except through our experience of them – in close proximity, and over time. Even then, there are those who are adept at disguising other aspects of their behavior and inner world that we may never see or know.
Life is precious, and fleeting. There are loving, generous, accomplished people who die, every day. And families and friends who grieve them. There are forgotten, miserable, seemingly invisible people who die every day. And no one to grieve them.
Yes, we talk to much. Act too little. And don’t dance enough, while we have the time and joy to do so.
Nicely put
Michael Jackson is the best entertainer ever. For the life of me I don’t know why people can’t see that this man was thirsty 4 lov, he had no child hood and no one 2 realy love him 4 him. all his life he amid 2 please everyone. So if you don’t no anything about this man don’t judge this man…..OK !
http://micheal-jackson-thriller.com
Minh-What in my blog made you think I was judging Michael Jackson?
Hmm. Is it true? :-)
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