Gone Too Soon

If only the too solid flesh we inhabit was so strong as that invisible fabric connecting our hearts.

This is too hard. Fifty years. It all matters. Three children have lost a father, may they be supported. We have lost a friend, may our remembrance of him support us. I won't lose his inspiration.

Do you remember?


I'm a music simpleton. Thankfully, sound transcends barriers; barriers of understanding, barriers of age. I first heard what was probably the Bad album - at about age six - somewhere in Australia, before I even knew who this singer was. Something inside changed then; whatever that song I heard was, I listened to it again. And again, and again.

I wouldn't find out who that singer was until about a decade later, with my introduction to a side of the city I was completely ignorant of; it's night life. Very shy, I slowly began to dance. For whatever reason, people started watching; most of them harassed – something I was used to from all my days in school – but a few seemed to like it, and I began hearing references to this revered figure, someone by the name of Michael Jackson.

The figure who had been shrouded in mystery during my childhood was now instantly revealed, and he couldn't just sing; boy, could he dance! He was electrifying; I wanted to do that. Being the pitiful geek that I was, I only saw this as an opportunity to 'increase my chances.' Every weekend, I would venture to the clubs, dancing all night. My vertical expression got continuously refined, but the horizontal intent was never fulfilled.

Fortunately, I slowly discovered that feeling that Michael had known at such a tender age; the thrill of dance and performance, not as a means to an end, but in the feelings it could conjure in an audience. The growth it can inspire in us all; this is the gift of entertainment.

The man in the mirror.

The lens through which we view life changes as we grow. I quickly wanted to know the man behind all the music. Despite the veil the media creates, it is not difficult to see light shining forth. Michael had a rare respect for life, all life, and has selflessly given hundreds of millions of dollars to numerous charities. It is fair enough to have large amounts of money, but using that money and influence to try to spread love, awareness and understanding, and to break down racial barriers, the way he has through numerous songs, is all too rare. Many critics consider this as 'sappiness' and a mark against his music, but the sincerity and consistency with which he pursues it is nothing short of inspirational.

Will you be there?

Witnessing death, one can not help but notice the immense fragility of the human body; despite the many protection systems that have evolved throughout history to conceal our mortality, its defences are so easy to pierce.

Death exposes celebrity's weakness – distance. Most will remember Michael as an enormously talented entertainer, and he no doubt joins the ranks of the twentieth century's most important figures of popular culture, but this is his least important legacy. The timeless human emotions of love and understanding are only passed on by those close enough to touch our hearts. Michael loved children. He was child-like, but not childish. We should never lose that child-like wonder, and through our conduct, pass it on.