Moonwalking...

I remember the exact moment I purchased my first Michael Jackson cassette. It was at that train market in Sharjah. I knew of MJ before that, but never bothered buying any of his music. I think I was like 10 or 11 anyways - so I don't think I personally bought any music before that.

So, I think it's fair to say that Michael Jackson's Dangerous was actually my first-ever personal music purchase decision. My sister and I were buying a New Kids on the Block album -- and I said I also wanted to buy MJ. On the drive back home I had my father play the MJ tape in the car... We had some guests with us, so my parents were talking to them as MJ played in the background as "ambience music" almost.

I had not really "heard" MJ before that. I didn't buy Dangerous because I had seen the videos or heard the music on the FM. I just knew of the existence of MJ, so... why not?

My sister was making a face with the MJ music, she felt "why are we listening to this? Put NKOTB, we both like them!"

And I think after a while we may have done that actually.

It didn't make much sense hearing that introduction to Black or White in low volume -- where the kid is playing music and his father asks him to shutup. And the kid finally says, "Eat This" and the guitar tune enters with MJ doing his typical "aaoww!"

After Dangerous I think I went and bought some 4-5 more MJ compilations. I used to sing his songs and I was actually really good back then -- until about 7th grade I was asked by some students "to sing like Michael Jackson"... Then I gradually found other artists I suppose and stopped listening to MJ so frequently, and overtime my voice became the (sexy) manly heavy bass voice that it is today... Like from Michael Jackson to Barry White...

I watched about the first hour of that documentary, "Living with Michael Jackson"... I still have to finish it today. But I wondered how I would have reacted to that documentary if he were still alive?

I wonder if a good majority of the media people and even average citizens that are saddened by the news are just feeling a little guilty?

But, I don't want to get into that... Nor do I want to say "may his soul RIP" -- I don't even know what people mean by that. I doubt people know what it means for a "soul" to rest in peace anyway... We just say "yeah yeah, umm, may MJ's soul rest in peace.... Jesus, give him a room in heaven." We're providing references to secure his spot in heaven or something. Because God will be checking his email and his Facebook and say, "Well, Michael... According to the testimonies of 4 billion people on my internet, you seem to have been a really nice guy. So, I'll let you in... but only if you show me that Moonwalk... Damn! How the fuck do you do that, son!?"

Well.... Looks like Michael Jackson is gone...

Only various images remain now...

"King of Pop", "Genius", "Dancer", "Michael Jackson", "Pervert", "Mental", "Wacko Jacko"

I decided to use an image of his chocolate bar for this post... I think I still remember the taste.

ps - One of my favourite music videos of his (and it was hard to pick one because so many of his had such amazing storylines): Leave me Alone.