Michael Jackson 1958 – 2009
There is no way I can string together a sentence that can fittingly express just how much Michael Jackson meant to me or how deeply devastated I am by his death.
The word “epic” is unworthy of describing his life, his career and his iconic level of fame. Not only was he the most significant artist in music history during his life, but the news of his death today nearly shut down the entire internet. The way the story unfolded in the news marks a major change in journalism and social media that will surely have implications for years to come. The biggest comfort to me, and surely many other fans, has been the overwhelmingly positive nature of the coverage and comments. Aside from the few who feel the need to make jokes or spread malicious garbage, most everything I have read, listened to and seen today regarding his passing has expressed sadness and appreciation for the light he brought to the world.
To me, Michael Jackson was much more than a singer, a dancer, and a celebrity. To me, he represented The Dream, the hope and optimism that can keep us going in our darkest hours. Whenever I felt like I was wallowing in the lowest points of my life, I had The Dream to lift me up and make me believe things would get better. The Dream is that magical part of childhood, the wild imagination, which makes us believe anything is possible, that the future will be brighter than the present. Today, I feel like my childhood is officially over because The Dream is gone.
In time, I am sure that I will be able to once again feel that optimism and inspiration that Michael Jackson represented in my life. Today, however, I am left with sorrow and disbelief.
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Alexis Gentry
Creator/Editor
Trashwire.com
That’s ashame. He had some good music. More and more people are dying young.
May Michael Jackson rest in peace despite some of the negative things said about him.
A huge loss for all of us!
Hey Alexis, just read your post from twitter and I just wanted to say that I couldn’t agree more.
Growing up I listened to so much of Michael Jackson, so hearing the news today left me feeling quite sad.
As polarizing a figure as Michael Jackson became later in his life, I mostly remember the unifying figure he was during my childhood. I remember traveling to Asia with my family when I was younger to visit some distant relatives. I didn’t really speak the language or know the culture so I felt uncomfortable and out of place. Then, someone played a Michael Jackson song and everyone in the room – from the parents to the kids – knew it was Michael Jackson. And just like that, we all spoke a shared language. I think music and sports are the few mediums that transcend culture, race, gender and Michael Jackson was one of the few figures who belonged to the world. To me, he was the one person who helped a shy girl in a foreign country not feel so shy or foreign.
Thanks for sharing your feelings, Alexis. I know everyone has their “what Michael Jackson meant to me” stories, and I wanted to share mine as well. I was in the car when news broke of his passing and when I got home hours later, more than half of the avatars on my Twitter feed were pictures of Michael. This little gesture by people reminded once more of the unifying, comforting presence the MJ of my childhood had. This is the way he should be remembered. RIP Michael Jackson.
Don’t you think the internet is blowing this out of proportion? Before allegations of child abuse came out we all loved MJ… after that the most of us just wanted him to die off. Now he has. Get over yourself.