Ten Items: Michael Jackson Lives On

Despite all the rumors that’s been going around the past decade about Michael Jackson and his somewhat weird personal life. I must admit, he was and still is one of my favorite icons, probably the only one I remember growing up with besides Madonna and Mariah Carey.

So yes, I stayed up awake here in Bangkok, Thailand and watched the Memorial and actually sob as I was watching it. A part of me still wonders if he is really gone but last night was a proven fact that he is gone, physically that is. To me and a lot of people, his legend, music, voice, and his genorisity lives on.

1. My mom practically taught me about Michael Jackson when I was born. Yes, she is a big fan probably a bigger fan of MJ than I am. It felt like I was born already knowing who Michael Jackson was!
2. I listened to ‘Human Nature,’ when I was on the plane with my mom on the way to India, which by the way I probably won’t go back there again in a long long time!
3. In Grade 4 or 5, I had an obsession with this guy who can moondance.
4. A scene I can never forget – my mom called my dad on his cell and had a little drama about how he is so late and she’s never going to make it to the concert of Michael Jackson, the love of her life. I was dropped off at my grandmother’s house. Below is the footage of his live performance in Bangkok, 1993.
5. The Jackson 5ive cartoon series is one of the cartoons I watched growing up. I can sing the whole ABC song, no joke (okay most of it!)
6. I cried watching ‘Heal the World,’ when I was young and I used to sing it everyday back then.
7. I never cared which color Michael Jackson was white, black, brown, red, or even transparent. His looks never bothered me and never will.
8. ‘Rock With You,’ is the song I like to sing when I am trying to be flirtatious. It’s been like that since forever!
9. When I think of Michael Jackson, I only remember him as this man who loves children and peace. I never saw anyone singing as many songs about the world as MJ does. Let’s face it, worldly kind of songs usually sounds nerdy but when MJ does it, it’s like magic.
10. I always wondered if he ever tossed that black hat at the concert he had in Bangkok because I would love to know who has it.

I am sure that most of us have memories with Michael Jackson. I’ve never even met the guy or been to his concert but for some reason he’s always been in my life and every time I see him on the TV I feel like I know him and I can connect, he’s just so alive.

Maybe it’s a good thing that I’ve never met him before because I know it would probably be a heart breaking thing for people who do know him to deal with his death. So for tonight, I am just going to pretend like I’m back in Grade 3 and all I have to do is just dance, smile, be happy, and listen to Michael Jackson.

P.S. Michael, I live in Bangkok so it does matter if I am black or white exactly why I stay in between. Yellow is good!