Michael Jackson: Symbol of Our Potential

Michael Jackson. His name is spoken and there are reactions that span a huge range of emotions; from women (and some men) weeping with love to others ready to jump his bones, hot with desire to still others ready to tear him apart because they think he’s a child molester to those who look down their noses at him snickering about his appearance. But the fact remains: love him or hate him, you just can’t be indifferent to him.

Why is this?

What is it about Michael Jackson that has such a grip on people? Young or old, black or white, Christian or Muslim, the comparisons could be endless and it still would make no difference; it seems that virtually everyone on the planet has heard of this man. Sure, he can sing and he can dance and his clothes are way cool; but it has to be more than these things. Is it because he’s so vulnerable? Yes, he gives that impression; but no one really knows for sure because no one really knows much about him given that he’s a very private person and what is reported, is usually opinion, speculation and hearsay - all unverified - with very few real facts.

So what is it about Michael Jackson?

I ask these questions, and have started this blog, in the hope that I will be able to understand why this man’s death had such an effect on me. Right off the top of my head, I know that his passing reminded me - very strongly - of my own mortality. I’m almost one year older, to the day, than Michael; and my mother was 57 when she passed away. The fragility of human life was underscored for me when a friend of ours died almost one month after Michael Jackson. She was my age.

Then, like dominos, my brothers and sisters all had heart complications. One of my brothers had to have stents put in his heart. Shortly after, my older sister has some health issues and was in the hospital. Then, on my 52nd birthday, my younger sister, who’s 50, had a heart attack. Thankfully her husband was there to perform CPR until the paramedics arrived and she is now doing well. Finally, shortly before Christmas, my oldest brother was having heart problems and was admitted to the hospital.

I was the only one who was not affected; yet I felt as if I were waiting for the other shoe to drop; which it still hasn’t and I sincerely hope it doesn’t. But, on June 22nd, preceding all these dire happenings, a joyous event took place. The coming into this world of a new little person created such a feeling of joy in me; a feeling I cannot describe as I’ve never felt like this before. Amazing would be one way to describe it. The feeling of being a grandma for the very first time. The thought that my bloodline, my family, would continue. This feeling prevailed for three days and then Michael Jackson died.

I didn’t really give it a whole lot of thought at first. In fact, it was about a month after he passed, shortly after our friend passed, that I began to think about Michael Jackson in earnest. I know a large of part of the reason for this was the non-stop media coverage; both the tabloids and the mainstream media. Being continually inundated with all Michael Jackson, all the time, I started paying a little more attention. Then I noticed that even in death, the vultures were attacking him and my antenna perked up because a lot of what was being reported about Michael Jackson rang patently false. I didn’t even know there had been a second molestation allegation because, during the time the media covered this, I was busy with my own life. My partner had sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury and I was researching the best way to deal with this in a holistic manner; eschewing pharmaceutical drugs and surgery.

Still, what was being reported after Michael Jackson’s death was being stated so salaciously, and with such venom, that I wondered why this man was being so reviled and decided to do some snooping on my own. One thing I learned was that Michael Jackson has repeatedly said the tabloids lie; I would go a step further than this and say ALL the media lie. This is something I’ve learned, personally, over the years and the negative spin on Michael Jackson only further fired my desire to do my own research. In fact, by law, the news doesn’t have to report facts - which is probably why it’s now called “infotainment” and why spin and opinion are so common.

Which brings me to the point that this blog is my opinion. I want to state that out front. I do not claim to be an expert; I do not claim to have first hand information. However, I do have a brain which I like to exercise, and I do have a heart and intuition that I listen to since they’re great BS detectors. Since I’ve begun my research on Michael Jackson, I, myself, have run the gamut of emotions; from sad to hot and bothered to depressed to amazed to touched and finally, to angry. About being angry with Michael, I’ll have to work up to that.