gone too soon

On Thursday June 25th, 2009 I was sitting poolside in Santa Clara, about 45mins south of San Francisco. I was checking my twitter before jumping into the pool and noticed a lot of chatter mostly asking "Is it true?" or "Is he really dead?" Unsure I went inside and turned on the news since I was unable to get any up-to-date information form the major news websites. Twitter wins again! After gaining confirmation from Keith Oberman, I then called my mother. She said "You know, when I heard the news I immediately thought of you." You see, for years my mother always told stories of when I was a child dancing/spinning on a coffee table to his music and imitating his moves. I don't remember this of course, what I do remember however is loving his music. I remember recording on VHS (yes, VHS) his concert in Bucharest and watching it over and over again.

His death was a shock to the whole world because Michael Jackson was one of those people who you didn't think would ever die. Of course his life wasn't without controversy. Changing skin colors and hanging out alone with children who are not your own can draw a significant amount of unwanted attention. In his death there are many who would like to remind you that Michael was a bit, "different." These people also like to deny the fact that Michael changed the world during his life time. He brought people together regardless of sex, creed, race, and country. Everyone loved him. You can pull all of his skeletons out of his closet, but it will all be moot since...he's dead. Regardless of the mistakes he's made there is no denying Michael changed the game and many would even argue that he created the game. He was a source of inspiration and will continue to be for years to come. You will be missed.