I’ve been a victim of
A selfish kinda love
It’s time that I realize
There are some with no home
Not a nickel to loan
Could it be really pretending that they’re not alone
A willow deeply scarred
Somebody’s broken heart
And a washed out dream
(Washed out dream)
They follow the pattern of the wind ya’ see
‘Cause they got no place to be
That’s why I’m starting with me
- Michael Jackson’s Man In The Mirror
http://catsandchocolate.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/catching-up-with-old-friends/
Couldn’t have put it any better myself. Although, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Elvis are my great loves too…but I suppose, MJ bled into our time-lines, we got to experience his music first-hand by living on the earth at the same time, whilst he was spurning out all these songs. We’ll always Remember The Time (when we fell in love).
I truly believe that we lost one of the greats back in July. The idea that Michael Jackson is no longer on this earth is a very strange thing to believe. In fact, I don’t believe it because his music and the legacy he left behind is amazing that he will never cease to inspire people all over the world for years to come yet. His music had a lasting impact on my older sister (Cats and Chocolate) when she was first introduced to MJ when she was 4 or 5 – she was having a tantrum, so our dad shut her in a room and made her listen to Thriller. Not quite sure what he was trying to achieve there, but she’s loved MJ ever since…and that had obviously rubbed off on me.
However, I got the opportunity to perform to the Jackson 5′s “I want you back” when I was about 9 with the beloved theatre company…there was a group of us little ones who had to dress up in retro, sparkly 70′s clothes…and dance our funky moves on stage – choreographed, of course! It’s a great memory, and after that, I was hooked on MJ. The beloved theatre has also performed “Smooth Criminal”, “Thriller” and “Will You Be There”…every song they cover is always good, in my opinion. At their upcoming Gala this month, they’re covering a few MJ songs I think, along with an Abba melody, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”…and a selection of their original songs. Unfortunately, I won’t be on stage but I’ll be behind the scenes…with the little ones, which is always fun.
This Is It has a lovely impact – whilst it was sad to watch, obviously because he should still be here, it was a very optimistic film as well. Throughout the whole film, there was a strong message of LOVE, largely coming from the man himself but also from the people he was working with. Towards the end, MJ said that they were all a family, it was a huge adventure and that they were going to show the audience something they have never seen before…something that would make them want to make a difference. His death had that impact on me, the realisation that life is too short…and despite only living to the age of 50, he had achieved so much – no one can take that away from him, not even the people who are STILL trying to drag him down, even after his life has ended.
I truly want to make a difference to others, I’m not sure whether that philosophy has something to do with growing up within the beloved theatre, my parents, or my experiences as a deaf person…but I feel it’s a combination of a whole range of different influences, and one of those influences is music. I don’t think it’s a good idea to underestimate the power of music; it can take out a message to many people, it can change some people’s lives. MJ is an example of this, his lyrics, his voice, his dances, his ideas…they touched people’s lives. He inspired people. And yet, despite knowing how many people loved him, he was so humble at the same time. His alter ego was huge, yet behind closed doors, he was a shy person – which a lot of people would probably find hard to understand.
Growing up, I was painfully shy. Being on stage was an escape from reality, I could morph into any one I wanted…and I’m sure it’s the same for many people. But then again, there’s a lot of people who just love the buzz they get from the stage… People have different ideals and motivations; I’m in no way forcing anyone to like MJ, I accept that for some people, he was a bit too surreal. But on the other hand, I wish some people would have the same respect for those who love MJ, if we can accept that others may not like his work or lifestyle, then why won’t they accept that others do? It just makes me so angry when people are still so judgemental of people, especially when they haven’t got a good enough reason to judge.
MJ taught me many things, but one thing will always remain with me – music CAN make the world go round. Music CAN make a difference…in the film, he mentioned that they had four years to beat climate change, which left me slightly confused, but then I started to think about Obama, and the fact that he’ll be in office for 4 years…possibly what MJ was referring to…? Some people can be too nonchalant…accept some changes as a good thing – things will change for the best, but it’s up to us to make the change and make a difference to this world.
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