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Remembering Michael Jackson, by me

It was hard to hold back tears watching the Michael Jackson memorial on Tuesday. Al Sharpton’s speech was exceptional, and the most emotional part was when his family was up on stage to pay their respect. It really touched me when Marlon asked to “give his twin brother Brandon a hug” for him. The event was sad, but it was also a celebration of his life.

I’m still coming to grips with the fact that the King of Pop has left us, and I’m positive that I’m not alone. For the last week or so I have been reflecting on the moments in my life that had something to do with Michael Jackson, whether it was the impact of his songs or otherwise. And I’ve realized that not many artists have had the same effect. For me he was the best entertainer that ever lived and certainly the best dancer.

I believe the first time I heard about Michael Jackson was with the “Thriller” video. There was a big buzz about it. In Seychelles back then, we used to get international songs a couple of years late, but the anticipation was there because students who came back from abroad had spread the word. After seeing it, I was even more excited because the director’s last name was the same as my first: Landis.

The “USA for Africa” project was memorable as well. At the time, we had been seeing the devastating Ethiopian famine on the news everyday. As kids, we couldn’t understand how something like that could happen. We were seeing children going hungry, and dying in their parents’ arms. My mother used to scold us whenever we wasted our food because of the whole situation. And then that “We Are the World” song came out. It felt like a breath of fresh air. It uplifted everybody because everyone knew that the people in Ethiopia were about to be saved. At least that’s what we felt as children.

In 1994 I spent my eleventh grade at the state’s institution of NYS (National Youth Service). Two of the boys in my cluster (dorm), Ricky and Felix, were huge Michael Jackson fans and competed against each other to see who the best imitator was. I was biased towards Ricky because he was from my district and he looked more like Michael, but Felix was a good dancer as well. In the end, they combined to do one of the best acts in our village/school talent show. And the song they danced to, “Smooth Criminal,” became my favorite Michael Jackson song until today. Whenever I hear the song I think about those two friends and my time at NYS.

His songs surely had an impact, but unfortunately, I wasn’t blind to the controversies either. However, for me, it wasn’t so much the legal issues, but the plastic surgeries. They were talking about his nose changing shape, his skin turning white, him sleeping in a special bed, etc. We heard so many rumors that it seemed some people were making up stories. In spite of all this, I never took my focus away from his music.

The highlight Michael Jackson moment of my life happened when I had the privilege of visiting his Neverland Ranch. My aunt used to work there and a few months after I got to this country in 1995, my dad, brother and I got a chance to spend a day there. They had a sort of “workers’ family day” and my aunt invited us. I was amazed at how big it was. It was like a theme park and since I was still a kid I was very excited. My best moment there was playing on the mini-basketball court. The rims were low and so I figured this was perhaps my only chance to try all the dunks I had seen on TV. Overall we had a great time. My only regrets were that we were not allowed to bring cameras (so no pictures), and we didn’t get to see him. And to think I almost didn’t take the trip down because I had an argument with my dad. Man, would I have missed something.

There was no question that Michael was the best. His legacy will live on forever. He encountered some speed bumps in his life but the goods he did should always outweigh them. I surely hope that he’ll be remembered more for his music, his dance, and his goodwill. I know that’s how I will remember him. Today we mourn his death, but we should also celebrate the great life that he had.

We miss you already, and you will always be in our hearts. Rest in Peace brother!