I just watched it on rerun on VH-1 and I seriously was touched. I can't believe there is now a world without Michael Jackson. All of these people that came on the stage to speak or sing, who knew MJ or had met him, you could see how he truly touched people. He was a great humanitarian, a giver, and yet the only thing people want to remember him by is the negative things.
When he passed last week, I was on twitter, when the news came through that he was in the hospital. It was a surreal moment for me. Here I was an average fan, not in the fan club, no memobrilia what so ever, and never been to concert. I haven't thought about MJ not even in passing unless a song of his came on the radio.
But as soon as I saw that he was in the hospital, I felt outside myself and teared up. And then I remembered all of the moments in my life when he was important to me, which was mostly junior high or the Thriller years. I had a glove, both the Beat it and Thriller Jacket, and I knew every song that came on the radio. I was there when Billie Jean was first broadcast on MTV. These are the things I remembered in that first few minutes of finding out the news. None of the bad, negative things, but how he touched my life.
When it was announced hours later that he died, I was devastated and again I teared up. When it was time to leave from work, on all radio stations they played MJ songs and I had tears all the way home.
Looking at the memorial today, it brought home again that we are in a world without MJ to grace us with his presence. The memorial was tasteful, classy and I cried when those people like Brooke Shields spoke on what MJ meant to her. I cried when Usher broke down a little and I really cried when Paris Jackson spoke but a few, yet powerful sentences.
It was a beautiful service, and I truly feel like we as a people, and this is all colors, have lost a truly blessed man who believed in equality.
Thank you Michael, for the music, your compassion and above all else your child-like innocence. God bless you on your journey.
