Inner Michael » The Soul Train has Left the Station

The Soul Train has Left the Station

I have been doing my retro-research. I have been spending time in places I would rather be—in the past. I shake my head because I want to know how can we be a decade into the new millennium? How can Motown be a relic? How can Soul Train be a walk back into yesteryear, a feature of the past? And how can Michael Jackson no longer be with us? It’s all unthinkable.

I took a nostalgic journey back in time watching the documentary of Soul Train and the 2010 Soul Train awards.  And I cried big alligator tears. I was not just the nostalgia, I was weeping for what was gained during those days and more for what has been lost since then. The tears were for the lost times, and days, and vibe. The world feels cynical and sterile to me compared to then. Those days held a pregnant hope and idealistic faith that change was in the wind. The wind that blew strongest was the musical wind. It blew from the likes of legends– Brown, Wonder, Wilson and Jackson. They were incomparable and irreplaceable. 

I felt more than a little sorry for those people who never understood the impact of Mr. Brown and his “I’m Black and I’m Proud” or those who will never know the meaning of Haight-Ashbury and that wearing flowers in your hair was a prayer. For those who can’t feel the performers and “Woodstock” when I say it.

And the return to Soul Train—I want Soul Train back! Don Cornelius, Master of Ceremonies, was not just an entrepreneur who saw a niche and filled it, he was an institution. The Jackson Five were but one of the many African American groups and artists who made Soul Train an institution too.

Every home in the hood had Soul Train on. I remember scurrying home to watch American Bandstand for much of my youth, but Soul Train was absolutely my favorite. The audience started out black and as it rose in fame and viewership, became half white. Soul Train integrated the neighborhood! It was the happenin’ place especially if you wanted to learn dance. I could dance pretty well and very black for a white girl. I was initiated at Soul Train. And by watching James Brown’s footwork.

If one loved to dance, one had to go to the dance clubs to show off the moves and to learn new ones.  In the clubs in Milwaukee and Chicago, I was sometimes the only white girl in the place. Where else would one go? The white kids didn’t know how to “get down” and they sure didn’t know how to boogie. There was only one choice and it gave me an education in black history and black music. I loved soul music and Motown and the Jackson Five. I saw Aretha, The Temptations, The Four Tops, and so many others live in concert and I shared a taxi once with Sam and Dave. (Soul Man and Hold On I’m Coming.) I also saw the Cream live and was a Jimi Hendrix fan and a big fan of Blues geniuses BB King and Junior Wells.

I was a big Beatles and Rolling Stones fan at one time too. I will always regret never having seen Michael or the Jacksons live. After Michael left the Jacksons, I watched his work in “We Are the World” and the “Off the Wall” album. I loved Michael’s early solo work until I lost track of him. I am revisiting Michael’s aesthetic now and learning who Michael was through the years. I haven’t just listened; I have studied Michael because now I am writing about his work and collaborations. I like Michael’s music and I have studied it in depth but not as a music critic. I have not seen or played the sheet music nor read all the credits. It is the music aesthetic that interests me—the sound, fabric, context, content, history, artwork, color, tone, depth, and the alchemy of all of that with a focus on the message. Michael was a messenger and his life and work was the message. The music was a means of delivery but it’s not the only thing or even the most important thing. There is that perpetual musical wind that blows through the life of one who came to teach and to change the world and spoke in the universal language—music.

So it will always be in that context that I look at the work of Michael Jackson whether Michael himself did it or someone else finished it. Those who worked closely with Michael knew him best. Those who knew and loved him as they worked with him know what he said and they are in a better position than me to know what he might have meant to say now. No matter what, Michael is no longer here with us. He cannot put his aesthetic stamp on work that now comes out of his vault or estate. It will never be 100% Michael ever again. That is the stark and painful reality.

There are those who look at the album and are reminded of the bad guys. There are plenty of bad guys in Michael’s history and his life. There is plenty of blame to go around if you are looking for a place to throw it. That includes everybody who ever betrayed him, took advantage, invaded his privacy, extorted him, tried to get close to him, conscripted his name for profit or revealed his secrets and private thoughts. He was a special man with a special sensitivity and talent and there are those who took advantage, lacked respect and used him for their own gain. While he had a special relationship with his fans and it was a reciprocal kind of love, it is also true that because of his fame and fans, Michael could not go anywhere or have any privacy. He could not go anywhere and be safe without security. Fans made that necessary. The paparazzi were everywhere he was and that began because people were curious and interested in all things Michael. It is important to remember that and to keep things in perspective. Fans can be bad guys.

The people close to Michael regularly rotated in and out of his life and like most close relationships whether personal or business, they all were complicated. Hired and fired, friend become enemy, collaborator become friend, enemy become admirer, observer become indictor, friends become family, family become strangers, strangers become haters, lovers become enemies, admirers become betrayers, lovers become admirers, and haters become advocates. There were those who turned their backs for survival because everything around Michael was so crazy. It wasn’t’ Michael who made it crazy; it was what went on around him and what was projected onto him all set into motion by others. Some turned their backs because it was too painful not to. Some turned their backs because it was self preservation and would have meant career suicide not to .There were those who defended, supported and loved throughout. Some just shook their heads. Like any complex artist, Michael’s life was intensely complicated and populated by many different kinds of people. His death appears just as tangled. Michael was different. He was a visionary far beyond his time and they are never understood in their own era.

To understand Michael one may not leave anything out. It all has to be factored in. To get the whole picture and to know his music one needs a Holodeck like on the Starship Enterprise-Next Generation to stand in the complete experience—the feel and taste and sound and aesthetic, and message and… That also means beyond all the human senses and into the sixth sense and maybe even seventh.

So is the new album what Michael would have envisioned? I don’t know but I’m pretty sure he would not have designed it to be posthumous– at least consciously. It is a posthumous album. Is it Michael? Yes. And no. Is it a commercial enterprise? Of course; that is how this country and business works. Those who knew Michael in a way that the fans don’t have done their best to do him proud and to bring his last work to light. Is that wise? Yes. And no. And the fans who know another Michael struggle to do him justice and to preserve his legacy. Are they right? Yes. And no.

Underneath it all is Michael. Is the final version what Michael envisioned? Yes. And no. He would not have made the music if it weren’t important. It was part of his history, his legacy and his message. Is it now delivered in precisely the way Michael would have done it? Of course not. But those who tried to bring Michael back to us now pay homage to his legacy. Would that legacy be the same without This is It? Michael was not here to sanction that either and those who knew him best said he would not have allowed it. But we know Michael better because of the attempt to give us the real man. Would he be proud of these attempts? Oh, yes. Michael would be proud that we cared enough.

Is all the fighting and yelling and protesting and standing on street corners with signs, and the gnashing of teeth really because it is painful to acknowledge that he is not here? Is it because we will never again hear Michael the way Michael wants to be heard? Is it because the music in the album is one last reminder of the fact that he is no longer with us?

Michael is un-mistakenly on the new album “Michael.” He began that work and he intended to share. That is why it exists albeit not in its final form. That will never again be possible. I have been asked my opinion about it by scores of people. I have been reluctant to say because to say something I have to be in my head more than my heart. I will say I do like parts of the new album more than others. But I am more interested in the message than the music. “Monster” is an important message and particularly haunting given where it comes from. So I will say that “Breaking News” is particularly important because it is Michael speaking from beyond the grave about what put him there.

So I was, and I am, upset with the treatment of that song. It seemed petty given that “Breaking News” struck me from the first time I heard it as an important final message directly from Michael. All the debate seemed to me to diminish its relevance and impact. It is an important last message and teaching. If the album is mostly what Michael planned to do, then it’s relevant. The Casios certainly seem like loyal and sensitive people and they gave Michael something he cherished—a home where he didn’t have to be the Michael Jackson, could feel comfortable, and felt safe enough to sleep. I don’t see them as opportunists.

The lesson in the album may go much deeper than the music. This album says to me: When death visits, there are no second chances. That perhaps the potential regrets should be reviewed before that event and not after. So, it may be really important to put some thought into doing it right and doing it before it’s too late. And to remember that if given another chance, would any of us do things differently? Does that include Sony? Might they have done it differently with Invincible? Would Lisa Marie have done it differently? Would Michael’s family? Would Dr. Murray? Would Michael’s musical colleagues? Would his friends? Would Madonna? Would you? Would Michael?

Me? I’m going back to watch more Soul Train. What needed to happen then was clearer. The path to get there was clearer. The message was clear. The intuition worked then. So did the sixth and seventh senses. The body knew it because the body and the heart felt it. This trying to figure it out with the head alone in a world where heart has been forgotten, is giving me a headache.  Maybe that’s the real message in this new Michael album. When Michael says in “Hold My Hand” ‘This life don’t last forever’ I think he is talking to us. If you’re looking for Michael—he’s there. So is his real message. His last message.  The one he planned to tell us when he died and gave us that message instead.

—————————————-

There is a Soul Train review of Michael that I particularly like…

Soul-O-Meter Michael Jackson “Michael”

21 Comments

  1. Kim said . . .

    Thank you Rev. Barbara. I remember Soul Train as well; that and American Bandstand. Life was certainly much simpler then, yes? I do hear Michael in his new album. I had no doubts when I first heard it. I believe it was meant to happen and the songs that landed on the album were meant to be. The way you describe the craziness that surrounded Michael makes me think that Michael was a strong person. I know that perhaps that may have changed after 2005, but then maybe not. I don’t know. I wasn’t there. I’m thinking that many people who were around Michael, including his friends and family would consider a do-over, but then again who knows for sure? With regards the lesson that we are suppose to learn, how many people will actually get it? I know some of us will, but some may not. I am keeping them in the light. I hold out for hope as you say because as I read your words, once again my heart really hurts. The more I read, the more I understand, the more I am hurt, the more I get angry. I know I should do some shadow work and I will, but it’s hard. All I will say is that I will continue to listen to the new album and will continue to love it. Michael’s music touches me very deeply; I feel it, I see it and hear it. Thank you. I think I need to go find if I still have the recorded Soul Train Awards somewhere; I know I recorded it. Thank you as always. Namaste.

    Posted December 17, 2010 at 3:56 am | Permalink
  2. lmat said . . .

    Thank you, Barbara. You’ve said very well exactly what I’ve been trying to express…Michael is here, and there, in his lyrics and not here, and there, because of what he says in those lyrics. When I listen to the music I can feel the soul he talked about imprinting in his work. Funny how the most important piece has been ripped apart and diluted by those who maybe don’t want us to hear or understand. And it’s not just the words in Breaking News, it is the fact that the music had to be completed by others because, well, those responsible for Breaking News about Michael for so many long years put him where he is now. How powerful is that?

    So, I have shared his new music with others and in answer to the question, “Is that really him?” I say, Oh, yes. And, Oh no, he’s really gone. Behind the lovely disc and painting and haunting voice that hits the heart, is an emptiness because he’s in Forest Lawn and silenced forever.

    Posted December 17, 2010 at 12:32 pm | Permalink
  3. karen said . . .

    What a wonderful article. It is written with much thought and feeling… Soul Train is still aired on cable TV and I watch it when I can. It makes me remember when I was young and trying to teach myself to dance. A period of five years when I was safe from the evil of what men can do to the ones around them… Isn’t it funny how our intuitions kick in after the fact. How everything makes sense when tragedy strikes us at our heart. Michael still walks with us, just in a different way now… When I watched the video of ‘Hold My Hand” the music alone brings me to tears. At the end is a foot walking on a star in Hollywood. It’s as if he is saying, “I’ve put my foot down on how I want things to be now and I’m moving on.” And when the flower is dropped, it makes me think that we now are to pick up where he left off and continue to do the good works he set out to do. There is so much controversy on whether or not it is MJ’s voice on the album. I can hear him, I can feel him, I can see him. At times, he sounds young as in the 80’s an 90’s. At other times, his voice is older as it would sound now. He is all over that album and I really wish people would stop questioning it and just enjoy the music the way it is. There are messages in each song and those who concentrate and really listen will understand what he is trying to convey. It has been said, “When will the blind man see?” But now it seems to be, “When will the deaf man hear… ” karen

    Posted December 17, 2010 at 1:31 pm | Permalink
  4. jeanne said . . .

    Time is precious. Loosing someone valuable to our lives is the jolt that reminds of the time we have left and what we choose to do with it. I have to agree that I too remember the fun we had back then. I think when we recognize that we sorta lost the balance in life is when we lost the joy as well. We add all the right ingredients back to this life, and it is like a perfect cookie or cake. Irresistible.

    Posted December 17, 2010 at 4:16 pm | Permalink
  5. Sue Springer said . . .

    Michael is very much there. It was hard to listen the first few times, but on the third or fourth run through I began to smile. I felt as if he were there saying “Adieu” and sending us out on our mission to LOVE the world, as if he were telling us we were ready and we can do it without his physical presence. I also have an overwhelming feeling of love and respect for the collaborators on this album that brought these important messages to us. There is such love here – you can feel that they all loved him and embraced this release as a sacred duty to Michael and his legacy. Almost as if he had his hand on each of their shoulders as they labored. Is it all Michael? Yep, for all the reasons that matter. To borrow from one of the songs: I love the way he loves us. Love and peace all, Sue.

    Posted December 17, 2010 at 6:58 pm | Permalink
  6. Heidi said . . .

    No doubt that others had to complete this album because he could not, and whether any artist would want others to complete their works for them is a matter of personal opinion I guess. The truth is, out of body, Michael is now everywhere. For me, padding the pockets of those who hurt Michael would feel like the ultimate betrayal.

    Posted December 17, 2010 at 8:02 pm | Permalink
  7. LJ said . . .

    Ahhh! Reading this piece gave me clarity- heart clarity that is. Since Michael’s passing out of the physical form I’ve been getting into reading his lyrics as reading poetry. I felt the message in the words of this new album. It then occurred to me the idea that perhaps we could be, unkowingly, feeding the harassment and dark shadow stuff that surrounded Michael when he was alive, by placing a continued intense focus on it as a means of keeping him “alive?” I also started to ask myself “what is it I want for Michael’s legacy and most importantly ‘why'”? I started to feel how wonderful it will feel when we all move into the best for Michael’s legacy, how amazing we all will feel as we put away the shadow-fight boxing gloves. Love to you.

    Posted December 17, 2010 at 9:34 pm | Permalink
  8. jeanne said . . .

    I know that Michael was one who would check you to see if you were listening. And he is still. We plant seeds for growth and I see this new music as a seed planted by Michael. “In the world of art you share and shine so that others may shine as well.” Michael said this in the movie This Is It to Michael the producer. I see Michael.

    Posted December 18, 2010 at 1:01 am | Permalink
  9. Theresa B said . . .

    I think that sharing Michael’s last work and messages is very important. I have said that in every comment I have posted leading up to the album’s release. He had a lot left to say and he always said it best in his music. After hearing the new album at least 15 times already this week, something else has been tugging at me. I think that the songs chosen by those who worked so hard on this album say something too. I think there is a lot of angry Mike in these songs and were chosen to make a point about how the media and others treated this sensitive and genius musical savant. They did it because he was different (and enormously successful) and because they could. The chosen songs show the cruelty of people. Many other songs on the album reveal the loving person that MJ was. I feel as if these songs collectively reveal the feelings of the people that knew Michael well. It is as if these choices are saying, “This is the man we knew and this is how you chose to treat him. I hope you can live with that because we cannot.”

    Posted December 18, 2010 at 2:09 am | Permalink
  10. Joyce said . . .

    Thank you so much Rev. Barbara for your wisdom, common sense and clarity! I have been feeling so conflicted and saddened by all of this chaos and negativity surrounding something that to me is so beautiful! At first I worried, what if Michael will really be upset by me buying this new CD? Then I thought about something that you wrote to me many months ago when I had replied to one of your e-newsletters. I was having concerns or guilt about spending more time actually thinking about and caring about Michael than I was for my husband who died several years ago. The words you wrote back have stuck with me. You reminded me that our spirits, once free from this world, no longer have the capacity for petty judgements like envy or jealousy. They are completely surrounded and filled with love. They only want that feeling of love for all of us. I am certainly not quoting you but trying to sum up what I took in from your words. I have to believe that Michael is smiling and filled with love when he sees so much joy and happiness in so many people listening to his music. I wish he could have been here to put his special touches on the final product but I most certainly feel Michael’s spirit and hear his messages in every single song. Would Michael have wanted these songs released at this time, in this way? If he were here, we wouldn’t have to be asking that question and that is what makes us all so sad and frustrated. There is no right or wrong answer. No one can say for certain. There is only what you feel in your heart. That is where Michael lives now, in all of our hearts! That is where all of his music, J5 through this newest creation touches me, in my heart and my soul! Thank you again Barbara for once again giving me clarity!

    Posted December 18, 2010 at 3:23 am | Permalink
  11. gertrude said . . .

    Just wow. Everytime I ache for something to be said I come here and you are saying it so well, especially: “Breaking News” is particularly important because it is Michael speaking from beyond the grave about what put him there.” THANK YOU. I also saw the Cascios in the same light as you. The fact that Michael could sleep when he stayed with them speaks VOLUMES. The people dissing the new album are not necessarily the people who knew Michael best, though. Appearances are deceiving right? Michael had Teddy Riley with him for just about every album he ever made, as he is again on this one, and none of the people trying to shout this album down were ever with Michael musically to the extent that Teddy was. Not even close. They have only harmed Michael’s legacy and ability to pay off debt and one has to wonder why, if they truly care about him? Strange days on Planet Earth. I would have given anything to have shared a cab with Sam and Dave – I was mad for them back in their day, but too young to be allowed into the clubs or concerts so I would hang around outside trying to catch the sounds whenever a club door opened until my curfew sent me running for a bus. I couldn’t agree with you more on the artists you’ve nodded to here.

    Posted December 18, 2010 at 7:49 pm | Permalink
  12. Janet Matthews said . . .

    I also had doubts about buying ‘Michael’ for the same reasons that others have stated – was I, as a member of the public, being used to extract as much money as possible from Michael Jackson? Was it disrespectful to his memory and would he have hated the release of these songs? I did buy the CD however, it arrived a few days ago but I didn’t want to listen to it until today. Driving around in the snow covered scenery I played ‘Michael’ and it was just magical. The songs were so Michael, so familiar in a way, and it was Michael there is no question in my mind about that. The messages were there and the love too. It was just an absolute pleasure to listen to him sing and hear his voice and I do believe that the people who produced this collection of songs did so with respect to him and his legacy. Yes – there is something ‘different’ about it, something I can’t quite explain, some of the ‘energy’ of Michael is missing but it still made me want to sway around (must have looked a bit odd if you happened to be in the car behind me) And if people make money out of it which I know they will, I would hope they give some away to the many charities and organisations out there who need it. Music feeds the soul and brings pleasure to millions and you can’t put a price on that.

    Janet – UK

    Posted December 18, 2010 at 8:50 pm | Permalink
  13. Elizabeth said . . .

    Michael is there on the CD – is it finished to his perfecting standard – no. But, Michael Joseph Jackson is there. You can feel his spirit and he is doing what he does best, speaking to our hearts and our souls. Lifting us up again as he has done time and time before. The CD is a very poignant reminder that Michael the man is no longer here to place his final stamp on the production. But, we get to hear his messages to us and feel his spirit that soothes all throughout the CD. Michael may be a commercial enterprise for the Estate, but in providing that, the Estate has provided so much more by releasing the songs. Like fields of corn, this latest gift from Michael will have to be gleaned and gleaned again until we can reap all that Michael left for us.

    Posted December 19, 2010 at 1:23 am | Permalink
  14. It's all for L.O.V.E said . . .

    Michael’s music touches my soul and the new album is no different. I feel him in the songs. I’ve risen above the controversy and decided to focus on the message. Michael has given me a wonderful Christmas present this year.

    Posted December 19, 2010 at 1:31 am | Permalink
  15. gertrude said . . .

    Holy Smokes – PRAYER answered! Ive felt a little ill lately about another potential sabotage by Sony seeming to loom over ‘Michael,’ putting his legacy and catalog ownership at risk. I was so saddened that I prayed the other night for the video to be played and for Michael to go number one. From my standpoint this would be a vindication for Michael. Well I just saw the video in its entirety on Much Music for the first time, Canada’s version of MTV! Its such a beautiful video and song that if they keep playing it people will buy it. This made my day merry and bright, and I hope it will do the same for all here.

    Posted December 19, 2010 at 11:59 pm | Permalink
  16. Anne UK said . . .

    Thank you again Rev Barbara for your inspired writing.I found all the contraversy surrounding this album quite upsetting.It was quite obvious to me that if Michael had have finished this album to the perfection he always required then he would have released it before he passed. Like “This Is It” this album was a work in progress.Bringing in Teddy Riley to work on this album was to me just who was needed, he knew and worked so often with Michael.I wanted so much to buy “Michael” just to get one last sound of his pure voice. I listened and heard it. I also can hear the messages and the love that he always gave us so freely. Of course it’s different; he can no longer put his final touches on it.This makes me all the more sad for what we’ve lost. I have found this album an absolute delight and I thank Michael for such a wonderful gift. The one thing that has recently come to light and for which I am so glad is that the Cascio’s gave Michael an understanding of what a loving family was like. A home where he could simply be “Michael. I’m sure they loved him deeply and I agree with you Rev Barbara, this is not an opportunist family. With much love Anne UK xx

    Posted December 21, 2010 at 1:11 am | Permalink
  17. Anna Weiss said . . .

    Thank you Rev. Barbara for your beautiful reminder of simpler days and for your wise thoughts on Michael’s final musical gift to us all. Michael was most certainly a visionary who came to teach and change the world! His message is found everywhere; in his rhythms, words, selfless acts, dedication to his calling, universal love, speeches imploring all of us to care better for the planet, the poor and suffering, in his devotion to children and family, in his unchanged heart through great adversity, and in his ever present gentle spirit. Yes, he came to teach us something, and old soul, perhaps, who conveyed only a fraction of his inner wisdom. But he left us enough to help guide us on this journey of self-discovery and world healing. He left us enough to always remember his legacy and what he came here to do, he left us just enough to finish the music he left behind. He left us with a heart full of gratitude so that we might celebrate his time on Earth, and ultimately, perhaps he left us early enough so that we might listen just a bit better. How many of us would be listening to his message had he passed much later as an older man? Would be as shocked, hurt, confused, willing to search out who he really was? Perhaps his untimely death has helped to capture our attention, and now, we are ready to know the truth not just of Michael Jackson, but of ourselves. Because in understanding our love and despair, we are afforded the opportunity to more deeply to know ourselves. Whether I am grief stricken, angry at the those who betrayed him, infuriated at the justice system, feeling betrayed by a record company or dancing in the streets with joy at new legendary music, I have to know that all my reactions, feelings and beliefs about Michael Jackson have some greater or lesser connection to my own life. I was one of those people, angered at the BN song, it just didnt sound like him all the way through. I found myself taking up the cause to pronounce it a possible partial fake. For a few days, I was really disturbed by it all. Then I heard the evidence come forth, by several qualified people, and I had to concede that I was wrong. But even then, I was still reeling, angry at what seemed to now be nothing. Michael Jackson’s voice had been authenticated. There were explanations,for example, of a different type of recording studio to account for some of the differences I heard. So why was I still upset? The answer, as in most cases of unresolved feelings was to be found deeper in my own psyche. That the song was possibly a fake touched an issue of betrayal in my own life. So, I reflected on that, did some inner work to address old pain. This became yet another opportunity to find healing in my own life. This is but one small example of how this deep connection and soulful appreciation for the true heart and soul of Michael Jackson has changed my life. In understanding the myriad of feelings and reactions to all things Michael, I have been given the gift of healing in my own life. I am eternally grateful to Michael Jackson for this most personal gift. My life is changed because of him, and in some small way, perhaps Michael’s spirit is touched as well. I would like to believe that Michael feels what is going on with all of us, and that his spirit rejoices in each and every action that is uplifted because of his work done here on Earth.

    Posted December 21, 2010 at 12:30 pm | Permalink
  18. admin said . . .

    Anna, Michael isn’t the only one with wisdom. Thank you for your courage doing the “mirror” work; you have lifted us all. And one last word… “Amen.” ~B

    Posted December 21, 2010 at 3:40 pm | Permalink
  19. Teva said . . .

    I remember the protest fans had/have against This Is It, but truthfully if that documentary had not been made the last major documentary about Michael Jackson would have been Living With Michael Jackson by Martin Bashir.

    Posted December 22, 2010 at 3:50 am | Permalink
  20. eva maria said . . .

    Thank you so much, dear Barbara, I hope,that you allow, to say this to you… Yes, it’s right, Michael is here, his light is with all of us and his love. I am thankful and with Michael’s favoutite song, I will sing: SMILE… god bless you… Love, Eva Maria.

    Posted December 22, 2010 at 4:44 pm | Permalink
  21. Nona Mills said . . .

    Thank you Rev. Barbara for your beautiful reminder of simpler days and for your wise thoughts on Michael’s final musical gift to us all. Michael was most certainly a visionary who came to teach and change the world! His message is found everywhere; in his rhythms, words, selfless acts, dedication to his calling, universal love, speeches imploring all of us to care better for the planet, the poor and suffering, in his devotion to children and family, in his unchanged heart through great adversity, and in his ever present gentle spirit. Yes, he came to teach us something, and old soul, perhaps, who conveyed only a fraction of his inner wisdom. But he left us enough to help guide us on this journey of self-discovery and world healing. He left us enough to always remember his legacy and what he came here to do, he left us just enough to finish the music he left behind. He left us with a heart full of gratitude so that we might celebrate his time on Earth, and ultimately, perhaps he left us early enough so that we might listen just a bit better. How many of us would be listening to his message had he passed much later as an older man? Would be as shocked, hurt, confused, willing to search out who he really was? Perhaps his untimely death has helped to capture our attention, and now, we are ready to know the truth not just of Michael Jackson, but of ourselves. Because in understanding our love and despair, we are afforded the opportunity to more deeply to know ourselves. Whether I am grief stricken, angry at the those who betrayed him, infuriated at the justice system, feeling betrayed by a record company or dancing in the streets with joy at new legendary music, I have to know that all my reactions, feelings and beliefs about Michael Jackson have some greater or lesser connection to my own life. I was one of those people, angered at the BN song, it just didnt sound like him all the way through. I found myself taking up the cause to pronounce it a possible partial fake. For a few days, I was really disturbed by it all. Then I heard the evidence come forth, by several qualified people, and I had to concede that I was wrong. But even then, I was still reeling, angry at what seemed to now be nothing. Michael Jackson’s voice had been authenticated. There were explanations, for example, of a different type of recording studio to account for some of the differences I heard. So why was I still upset? The answer, as in most cases of unresolved feelings was to be found deeper in my own psyche. That the song was possibly a fake touched an issue of betrayal in my own life. So, I reflected on that, did some inner work to address old pain. This became yet another opportunity to find healing in my own life. This is but one small example of how this deep connection and soulful appreciation for the true heart and soul of Michael Jackson has changed my life. In understanding the myriad of feelings and reactions to all things Michael, I have been given the gift of healing in my own life. I am eternally grateful to Michael Jackson for this most personal gift. My life is changed because of him, and in some small way, perhaps Michael’s spirit is touched as well. I would like to believe that Michael feels what is going on with all of us, and that his spirit rejoices in each and every action that is uplifted because of his work done here on Earth.

    Posted December 22, 2010 at 8:54 pm | Permalink

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