What Michael Jackson Meant To Me Dedication

What Michael Jackson Taught Me

If you develop your talents, you can be freed from stereotypes.

Michael Jackson Dies At 50

I’ve been to that site, Dead or Alive, where you can see if actors and famous people are alive or not.  They have a category for people who have passed 100, you can view by cause of death and find out who died on a specific date.  I like the site for all these geeky sorting options. I felt it was important to take an inventory of my life and evaluate if I was where I wanted to be and if not, clearly define my goals to get there.

This year I turned 31 so I went back over to the site as they have a section to see who you have outlived and what people died under the age of 30.  I found this list especially interesting because all of these people died at the height of their success and accomplished more in thier short lives than those who would live into their 80’s.  I’ve watched documentary and biographies on many of these folks.

• Aaliyah - 22
• Morrison, Jim - 27
• Jimi Hendrix - 27
• Janis Joplin - 27
• Notorious B.I.G.  - 24
• Selena - 23
• Tupac Shakur - 25

Reading over the Wikipedia articles for these famous singers and musicans, many did have rough childhoods.  Their common thread is practice.  They all were practicing and or professionally performing by age 12. Malcolm Gladwell talks about the “10,000 hour rule” to gain true mastery in his book, “Outliers“.

Michael lived twice as long. Why do we as humans accomplish so very much between the ages of 15-25? If someone doesn’t do they still have the ability to make a lasting contribution to humankind? I’m not going to pretend to know what happened to Michael during his childhood. If someone feels wronged, until that is made right internally, people can carry around a great deal of anger, shame, guilt and fear which eats away at your soul.

• How can we make it easier for young people in the music industry?
• Should Michael have seeked help for the drama he experienced as a child?
• Can people undo emotional damage they experience as children?

Poem dedication to Michael Jackson – Thank You Lord by Maya Angelou

Lyrics at the bottom of the post

Twitter and Current Events

I truly appreciate sharing and experiencing worldwide events on Twitter.  It was amazing, beautiful and powerful to read people’s responses to the news on Thursday:


 

Thank You – by Dr. Maya Angelou

I see You
Brown-skinned,
Neat Afro,
Full lips,
A little goatee.
A Malcolm,
Martin,
Du Bois.
Sunday services become sweeter when you’re Black,
Then I don’t have to explain why
I was out balling the town down,
Saturday night.

Thank you, Lord
I want to thank you, Lord
For life and all that’s in it.
Thank You for the day
And for the hour and for the minute.
I know many are gone,
I’m still living on,
I want to thank You.

I went to sleep last night
And I arose with the dawn,
I know that there are others
Who’re still sleeping on,
They’ve gone away,
You’ve let me stay.
I want to thank You.

Some thought because they’d seen sunrise
They’d see it rise again.
But death crept into their sleeping beds
And took them by the hand.
Because of Your mercy,
I have another day to live.

Let me humbly say,
Thank you for this day
I want to thank You.

I was once a sinner man,
Living unsaved and wild,
Taking my chances in a dangerous world,
Putting my soul on trial.
Because of Your mercy,
Falling down on me like rain,
Because of Your mercy,
Falling down on me like rain,
Because of Your mercy,
When I die I’ll live again,
Let me humbly say,
Thank You for this day.
I want to thank You.