Oh, i just had to post here.
YES, i've changed. Tremendously.
After about a month of depression, I officially became an atheist. I've never been religious, but i never really sat down to think about god in any real way, i just accepted "spiritual" or "agnostic" as fine definitions for my beliefs.
Atheism is not about "rejecting" god, it's more about embracing life and accepting this life is all there is to our existence. I want with all my heart to believe that Michael is in heaven, but i don't think he is. We all robbed him off the life he deserved, and that even includes the loving fans, who, even though gave him the love he needed so much, were also part of the reason behind his isolation and loneliness.
LIFE is what matters. Michael's life was a gift to us. We took it for granted. I will never do that again.
A small reason behind my accepting atheism, is that even though I've always absolutely loved Jesus' message, and always thought he was an admirable human being, (all the while admitting ignorance in terms of his divinity), I believe in my heart that Michael went above and beyond Jesus. If any human being deserves to be the founding rock of a religion, it's Michael.
(Please, to all the Christians, don't take this as an attack to Jesus Christ. I am talking about the historical figure, not Jesus our Lord and Savior. Attacking my beliefs about his divinity would be similar to attacking Jews for not believing in him.)
Although I ADORED Michael since i remember myself, my adolescence coincided with what the media dubs as his "fall from grace" - i was 15 in 2000. Between my being too involved in my own life and emotional turbulence, and him being attacked more and more viciously by the media, i slowly became a closeted fan, loving him quietly and from a distance, not following him. In 2005, i did not follow the trial. I ate the "facts" the media spoon-fed me, like everyone else, and was surprised when he was pronounced Not Guilty. I did not expect the depths of depression i plunged in after June 25 - and I am now resolved NEVER to let someone I love slip through my fingers. I tell my mom, my dad, my brother, my grandfather, my friends, everyone who is close to me, how much I love them, every day.
I never want to feel the regret I felt when after days and days of youtubing him, i realized that not only was he not "weird" between 2001-2009, but he had grown, he had matured, he had become the best version of himself he could have. I cannot believe i was not there to witness and appreciate that growth.
FINALLY, i was never fond of children. I now look at them, and my heart flutters. I see Michael in all of them. I used to actually dislike children - found them annoying, noisy, bothersome. Now i cannot even describe the warmth i feel inside when I see one.
I was so upset to discover one day that i have started to think of him as dead, and that i was no longer shocked my his death. I wanted so much my claim that "I WILL NEVER GET OVER IT" to have held true.
I miss him with every cell in my body, with every beat of my heart, with every breath i take, with every tear i hold back. I can't do anything about it than to ask myself "what would Michael do?" and "what would Michael think" and "what would Michael feel"? I am a better person because of him. I never looked into his eyes, i never felt his skin under my fingertips, i never kissed his eyes and forehead and lips and cheeks and forehead again like i always wanted to, I never told him i loved him. But no one holds my heart the way Michael does. And no one ever will.