billyworld99
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it's old but worth sharing
One for the ages: Michael Jackson inspired humanity to believe in itself
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The recent and untimely passing of Michael Jackson has brought a profound sorrow and grief to many around the world. To most around the world . . .
His loss is deeply felt, by those he touched, and by those who sought to touch him.
While I aspire to be the best writer, scribe, and thinker that I can possibly be, my expressions on a virtual paper that is a computer screen is likely to fall far, far short of what Michael meant to many people in our global village. In comparison to the greatest entertainer of all time, even my open-minded imagination fails in adequate depiction.
The explanations as to why he was important and ground-breaking in social terms, for civilization, is worthy of lengthy, lengthy scrolls. College classes will be taught about him; songs will offer praise. As fans mourn, either outwardly or in their quiet and private recesses, more will yet discuss the many dimensions of this man-example: the child musical prodigy, the abusive household, the driven and dysfunctional family, the perfectionist, the racial and cultural transcendent, the father, the man, the artist.
The Uber Artist
He was the Uber, Uber Artist.
#1 boxer Filipino Manny Pacquiao
He, in his own right, was a leader. By following his own voice, calling, sense of destiny, and imagination, he ultimately lead. The masses followed. The sea of humanity in his concerts cried at the sight, sound, and awe-inspiring performance. They thundered rhythm, movements, voice inflections, subtlety that was never seen or heard or will never be seen or heard ever, by anything or anyone on this earth. It was not just a once-in-a-lifetime uniqueness. It will never be seen again, except for the poor substitute of re-runs and replays.
In the past 2 or 3 generations, from the past 30 years, perhaps only 5 other super-individuals rose to heights and moved people in similar ways that Michael Jackson did.
1.Pope John Paul II
2.Ronald Reagan
3.Michael Jordan
4.Nelson Mandela
5.Manny Pacquiao
One offered spiritual freedom, religious inspiration, and defied a Communist empire - that most oppressive of systems that de-humanized people. After receiving a bullet in an assassination attempt, he forgave his would-be assassin.
One lead and inspired the United States, a superpower in a great Cold War and economic struggle. He refreshed the minds of many by advocating principles and values that were right, powerful, true, and timeless.
One exerted his physical and mental abilities to the utmost on the hardwood floor, with zeal that made him the greatest basketball player of all time. Championship after championship, MVP after MVP, he was the athlete that rose to unhampered heroism, giving hope to kids, young adults, and sports fans.
One spent several decades in a South African jail, and upon release, became the president of his people, who defeated decades of apartheid and racial injustice - a global leader. His was the greatest test of patience and purpose.
And one spent his early childhood in desperate poverty, who in impossible circumstances, became the greatest prize fighter in the world and one of the best boxers of all time. His national following is as heightened with fervor and intensity as any who has ever climbed the peak of heroics and idolatry.
Michael Jackson
With Michael Jackson, his electricity on stage defined phenomenal. He made everyone believe in the impossible, that magic was indeed part of the common standard.
He united the world by making people forget about the Cold War, nuclear weapons, of national boundaries. People were just people - fellow human beings - through his music, discovering something about themselves; exploring something about the expressions of the ether and universe.
His music gyrated our soul - and our being. His spirit transcended genres. It was undefinable, and un-utterable.
Over the weekend, listening to Michael Jackson's songs, and watching multitudes of tribute videos had me shedding heartfelt tears a few times. These are timeless, and they make me forget my skin color, religion, neighborhood, alma mater, and nationality. I am simply a human being. An undefined and infinite soul.
Michael Jackson's expressions were not just ballads, they implored each of us to reach our potential, to reach a higher plane - to plant that celestial fire of conscience and goodness within our own hearts. They were primordial, those insights that we did not know were embedded in our DNA. They tapped into each person, and tapped into the collective subconscious. The response was elative. Ecstatic. Incredible. It was a nuclear explosion / implosion of the mind-spirit. The Chosen One revealed a way to express and live life that was boundless in energy and dimension.
As he defeated and erased political, cultural, national, and racial lines, man was freed. From himself. What appeared to be metal shackles blew into the wind as mere sand-dust. An illusion.
Man had suffered from the Spanish Inquisition, the Dark Ages, the brute dogmas and lies of Supreme Authority. Physical torture, and brainwashing, that altered his reality. Freedom reconfigured perceptions.
Michael Jackson made my childhood magical. His rides on Disneyland confirmed that magic did exist. Fairytales came true. The impossible was just around the corner. Paradise on earth could happen.
There is a custom-made frontier out in front of us, if we searched hard enough and if we had the courage to test its mettle.
I must confess.
When I was in the 3rd or 4th grade, I had a three-member dance group, and we danced and performed to Michael Jackson's "Bad" in front of our class' parents.
In any other circumstance, I would have been shy and reserved. The Michael Jackson persona gave me confidence, I was able to execute and perform with pride and joy.
Michael Jackson inspired humanity to believe in itself.
A simple glimpse of the King of Pop would have been enough. He was the most unique expression of the human mind, of human potentiality, of what lied just beyond the human frontier.
That it was reported that he suffered an apparent cardiac arrest last Thursday afternoon, I was at a bar, grabbing a few beers after a hard day's work. The initial thoughts were that of curiosity. Moments later, it was announced by CNN that he was dead. Shock ensued. A somber sort of energy dragged my spirits down, like some magnetic force was pulling me closer to the ground.
Michael Joseph Jackson - 1958 to 2009 - was unlike any of us. Each of us belong to a certain mold, expected of us. Not Michael.
He broke barriers, he broke records, he broke through limitations.
That he was beyond regal and magnificent in his bearing and outfit does not belie what was inside the man. Associates regarded him as the most gentle, sweetest, and well-intentioned being on the planet. MTV personality John Norris recalled that adult Michael was extremely shy, cautious, and reserved when interacting with people, and even more so when the cameras went on.
Perhaps, rightfully so. Adulthood indoctrinates the common man to lower his standards. Temptations teach us that it is alright to reduce any vestige of morality and accept lying, cheating, and un-gentlemanly behavior as an acceptable means of getting ahead, or fulfilling our selfish little desires. We eventually get screwed bad. The trusting child in us gets destroyed in the process. We screw others in revenge.
Especially when we are around wealthy, beautiful, and famous people. The fangs come out. People take advantage. Hidden motivations are manifested manipulatively. It is the grand royal courtesan scheming and acting with Machiavellian blood-thirst.
Michael Jackson was repulsed. He retreated, and isolated. He maintained his standards. He continued to strive to improve on those standards. In his perfectionist pursuits he was unfamiliar with rest. He subscribed to a deadly cocktail of anti-depressants, pain killers, and any other chemical-medicines that temporarily reduced his obsessive compulsive behavior.
Our idol fell. He paid the highest price for those standards. He maintained his integrity, and he kept true to himself.
Michael Jackson sold over 750 million albums. That is one of the most astonishing feats ever accorded in the history of man.
His death means that a major and treasured part of our childhoods is also dead. Such is priceless and irreplaceable.
No amount of money or success can ever replace the sense of wonder, sense of possibilities, innocent love, and magic that comes with it.
Michael Jackson has passed away. We did too.
http://www.examiner.com/article/one-for-the-ages-michael-jackson-inspired-humanity-to-believe-itself
One for the ages: Michael Jackson inspired humanity to believe in itself
The recent and untimely passing of Michael Jackson has brought a profound sorrow and grief to many around the world. To most around the world . . .
His loss is deeply felt, by those he touched, and by those who sought to touch him.
While I aspire to be the best writer, scribe, and thinker that I can possibly be, my expressions on a virtual paper that is a computer screen is likely to fall far, far short of what Michael meant to many people in our global village. In comparison to the greatest entertainer of all time, even my open-minded imagination fails in adequate depiction.
The explanations as to why he was important and ground-breaking in social terms, for civilization, is worthy of lengthy, lengthy scrolls. College classes will be taught about him; songs will offer praise. As fans mourn, either outwardly or in their quiet and private recesses, more will yet discuss the many dimensions of this man-example: the child musical prodigy, the abusive household, the driven and dysfunctional family, the perfectionist, the racial and cultural transcendent, the father, the man, the artist.
The Uber Artist
He was the Uber, Uber Artist.
#1 boxer Filipino Manny Pacquiao
He, in his own right, was a leader. By following his own voice, calling, sense of destiny, and imagination, he ultimately lead. The masses followed. The sea of humanity in his concerts cried at the sight, sound, and awe-inspiring performance. They thundered rhythm, movements, voice inflections, subtlety that was never seen or heard or will never be seen or heard ever, by anything or anyone on this earth. It was not just a once-in-a-lifetime uniqueness. It will never be seen again, except for the poor substitute of re-runs and replays.
In the past 2 or 3 generations, from the past 30 years, perhaps only 5 other super-individuals rose to heights and moved people in similar ways that Michael Jackson did.
1.Pope John Paul II
2.Ronald Reagan
3.Michael Jordan
4.Nelson Mandela
5.Manny Pacquiao
One offered spiritual freedom, religious inspiration, and defied a Communist empire - that most oppressive of systems that de-humanized people. After receiving a bullet in an assassination attempt, he forgave his would-be assassin.
One lead and inspired the United States, a superpower in a great Cold War and economic struggle. He refreshed the minds of many by advocating principles and values that were right, powerful, true, and timeless.
One exerted his physical and mental abilities to the utmost on the hardwood floor, with zeal that made him the greatest basketball player of all time. Championship after championship, MVP after MVP, he was the athlete that rose to unhampered heroism, giving hope to kids, young adults, and sports fans.
One spent several decades in a South African jail, and upon release, became the president of his people, who defeated decades of apartheid and racial injustice - a global leader. His was the greatest test of patience and purpose.
And one spent his early childhood in desperate poverty, who in impossible circumstances, became the greatest prize fighter in the world and one of the best boxers of all time. His national following is as heightened with fervor and intensity as any who has ever climbed the peak of heroics and idolatry.
Michael Jackson
With Michael Jackson, his electricity on stage defined phenomenal. He made everyone believe in the impossible, that magic was indeed part of the common standard.
He united the world by making people forget about the Cold War, nuclear weapons, of national boundaries. People were just people - fellow human beings - through his music, discovering something about themselves; exploring something about the expressions of the ether and universe.
His music gyrated our soul - and our being. His spirit transcended genres. It was undefinable, and un-utterable.
Over the weekend, listening to Michael Jackson's songs, and watching multitudes of tribute videos had me shedding heartfelt tears a few times. These are timeless, and they make me forget my skin color, religion, neighborhood, alma mater, and nationality. I am simply a human being. An undefined and infinite soul.
Michael Jackson's expressions were not just ballads, they implored each of us to reach our potential, to reach a higher plane - to plant that celestial fire of conscience and goodness within our own hearts. They were primordial, those insights that we did not know were embedded in our DNA. They tapped into each person, and tapped into the collective subconscious. The response was elative. Ecstatic. Incredible. It was a nuclear explosion / implosion of the mind-spirit. The Chosen One revealed a way to express and live life that was boundless in energy and dimension.
As he defeated and erased political, cultural, national, and racial lines, man was freed. From himself. What appeared to be metal shackles blew into the wind as mere sand-dust. An illusion.
Man had suffered from the Spanish Inquisition, the Dark Ages, the brute dogmas and lies of Supreme Authority. Physical torture, and brainwashing, that altered his reality. Freedom reconfigured perceptions.
Michael Jackson made my childhood magical. His rides on Disneyland confirmed that magic did exist. Fairytales came true. The impossible was just around the corner. Paradise on earth could happen.
There is a custom-made frontier out in front of us, if we searched hard enough and if we had the courage to test its mettle.
I must confess.
When I was in the 3rd or 4th grade, I had a three-member dance group, and we danced and performed to Michael Jackson's "Bad" in front of our class' parents.
In any other circumstance, I would have been shy and reserved. The Michael Jackson persona gave me confidence, I was able to execute and perform with pride and joy.
Michael Jackson inspired humanity to believe in itself.
A simple glimpse of the King of Pop would have been enough. He was the most unique expression of the human mind, of human potentiality, of what lied just beyond the human frontier.
That it was reported that he suffered an apparent cardiac arrest last Thursday afternoon, I was at a bar, grabbing a few beers after a hard day's work. The initial thoughts were that of curiosity. Moments later, it was announced by CNN that he was dead. Shock ensued. A somber sort of energy dragged my spirits down, like some magnetic force was pulling me closer to the ground.
Michael Joseph Jackson - 1958 to 2009 - was unlike any of us. Each of us belong to a certain mold, expected of us. Not Michael.
He broke barriers, he broke records, he broke through limitations.
That he was beyond regal and magnificent in his bearing and outfit does not belie what was inside the man. Associates regarded him as the most gentle, sweetest, and well-intentioned being on the planet. MTV personality John Norris recalled that adult Michael was extremely shy, cautious, and reserved when interacting with people, and even more so when the cameras went on.
Perhaps, rightfully so. Adulthood indoctrinates the common man to lower his standards. Temptations teach us that it is alright to reduce any vestige of morality and accept lying, cheating, and un-gentlemanly behavior as an acceptable means of getting ahead, or fulfilling our selfish little desires. We eventually get screwed bad. The trusting child in us gets destroyed in the process. We screw others in revenge.
Especially when we are around wealthy, beautiful, and famous people. The fangs come out. People take advantage. Hidden motivations are manifested manipulatively. It is the grand royal courtesan scheming and acting with Machiavellian blood-thirst.
Michael Jackson was repulsed. He retreated, and isolated. He maintained his standards. He continued to strive to improve on those standards. In his perfectionist pursuits he was unfamiliar with rest. He subscribed to a deadly cocktail of anti-depressants, pain killers, and any other chemical-medicines that temporarily reduced his obsessive compulsive behavior.
Our idol fell. He paid the highest price for those standards. He maintained his integrity, and he kept true to himself.
Michael Jackson sold over 750 million albums. That is one of the most astonishing feats ever accorded in the history of man.
His death means that a major and treasured part of our childhoods is also dead. Such is priceless and irreplaceable.
No amount of money or success can ever replace the sense of wonder, sense of possibilities, innocent love, and magic that comes with it.
Michael Jackson has passed away. We did too.
http://www.examiner.com/article/one-for-the-ages-michael-jackson-inspired-humanity-to-believe-itself