A different take on Michael Jackson

When I heard the news of Michael Jackson's death, my first thought was, 'it was probably self-destruction.'  I wasn't much concerned.  We all die.  There seemed something especially difficult and seemingly sad about his life--but I wasn't sure what--I hadn't paid much attention really.  I had enjoyed him and considered him cool and entertaining as a kid, but I never went the least bit crazy over any celebrity, including Michael.  I was only a few years younger than he.  As we grew older, I found his popular music less attractive--not the straight rock/pop/blues that I had enjoyed from his and my youth.  I never put much energy into thinking about him at all as an adult, except to note that people were really going crazy over him.  I had a strong impulse to protect myself from any kind of media craze.  They could easily take us in directions that were probably not in our self-interest I thought, and in that way, I more or less, blew Michael Jackson off.  The weirder he got, the more my perception was confirmed.

However, since his death, and having a lot of opportunity to revisit who he was, I have had a change of heart and mind, even in his music of the '80s. I am paying attention. When I see him now, I see a very complex person with a genius for the entertainment industry as well as a musical and creative talent that was very deserving.  But even more, what I see is a person that was a true artist in his heart and soul.  I was impressed to learn about his strong giving, financially and personally, to causes that touched his heart; his advocacy to world leaders for people that were in need.  Then I saw some of his musical work that expressed his deep emotional responses to the disasters of our day, including environmental degradation that is causing unimaginable pain to populations already neglected.

I still wonder about his relationship with his children's mother. Did he just use her so that he could have children and then pay her off to be able to have full custody of them, or perhaps she used him for his fame and wealth, and when he realized it, he would have no more of it?  I, as you probably would guess, didn't follow those stories.  I'm sure that either case is possible, or perhaps something else entirely, however it seems to me that there was a genuine person in Michael Jackson, that did steward his enormous talent and very sensitive and caring nature long enough to make a strong impact in people's lives in a variety of ways.  Fifty years is a long time to feel as deeply as he appears to have, and to carry the burden of his fame and wealth--the responsibility that goes with it.  I believe, the old saying, "the good die young," applies to Michael.

I also believe that it is the goodness of Michael that is drawing the enormous attention at this time; the impact of his talent on his fans as well as the impact of his heart on the world.  We all need to see examples of that kind of life lived out and we need to understand it.  We may not understand all of what he chose to do, but what geniuses do we usually understand in full.  That's part of the creativity of being a genius. He is an important figure in our time, and he will be remembered for a long time.  I hope he is remembered for the greatness he brought forth from within himself and gave to the world.