Erikson's Development Stages

School-Age Child
Industry vs Inferiority

Tries to develop a sense of self-worth by refining skills

I have a lot to say about this but, I'm loosing steam. I just wanted to put this out there...

"through my music I will live forever." - MJ

Chapter 13

Thereupon the multitude
screamed out to Him, ²saying
“the tabloids said you changed
your face, that must mean
you’re
a very ³special person, and,
like, know a lot .”
⁴Whereupon He responded:
What about sunrise
⁵What about rain
⁶What about all the
things
⁷That you said we were
to gain...
⁸What about killing fields
⁹Is there a time
¹⁰What about all the things
¹¹That you said was yours
and mine...
¹²Did you ever stop to notice
¹³All the blood we've shed
before
¹⁴Did you ever stop to notice
¹⁵The crying Earth the
weeping shores?⁺
And the multitude ¹⁶screamed and
whistled and shouted for ¹⁷Him
to proceed,
Because they ¹⁸dug what he was
saying,
Since it was so ¹⁹heavy and right on.

⁺ Earth Song

I KNEW IT ! ! !

And on the Third Day...

Jamie Fox ~ Jeffrey Stanton Bell ~ Michael Jackson Early '80s ~ Michael's Arm Early 2000s

...the BET Awards changed their annual program to honor Michael Jackson’s passing. And Jamie Foxx revealed the mystery of why Michael would grab his crotch when he danced. Apparently it was a case of “his pants were too tight” and he was dealing with some camel toe issues. Some people took offence. Whatever, I thought it was funny. Janet came out at the end and did her “Michael was an Icon speech”.

But something I noticed about the show did bother me. They only used images of Michael from the time before his skin started to lighten. To me that indicated that the African-American population really didn’t believe Michael’s story of having to deal with vitiligo, or maybe they disapproved of his choice to blend his skin tone with the white patches instead of the dark patches. Personally I thought that vitiligo only affected small parts of the body. After some research I found out that it can actually cover the entire body. So, now that he’s dead, I’m ashamed to say; I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Personally, I think, it probably would have been helpful if Michael had been willing to show us his vitiligo, but I get the impression that he didn’t really feel like it was any of our business. Is this a good time to tell you he had Lupus too? Or maybe I should save that for another post.

Where were you when he died?

I was never a huge Michael Jackson fan growing up, but like anybody else in the western world who went through their formative years in the ’70 and ’80 I was aware of and influence by Michael Jackson’s music and constant tabloid life. After the mid ‘80’s I kind of stopped paying attention except for the occasional sensational Michael Jackson story I pretty much was unaware of what he was doing, musically or otherwise.

I never went to a Michael Jackson concert; I didn’t buy any Michael Jackson albums or subsequent CDs. After “Black or White” I stopped paying attention to his “short films” (as he liked to have them referred to) and I just didn’t give him much thought. Of course I saw his face change through the years. I knew his hair caught on fire during a Pepsi commercial. I noticed him dangle Blanket out of the window because when that happened you couldn’t turn on the TV and not see it. I was aware that he had been accused of child molestation in the early ‘90’s and knew that he paid off the accuser. And I thought that he might indeed be a child molester. I heard him talk about being strip searched and I did feel sorry for him. But I didn’t give it much more thought. I was aware that in the early 2000’s he again had to deal with some one accusing him of child molestation. And this time he had to go to court. I didn’t follow it too close because I had burnt out on OJ by then. A couple years latter he was acquitted. But when I saw him on TV he looked like he had really been put through the wringer. I thought it was interesting that he chose self-imposed exile rather than stay in this country. Still I wasn't giving him too much thought.

Life went on and I’d see an occasional picture standing in the grocery line, usually on a tabloid rather then a reputable magazine. Michael in a burqa, Michael dangling Blanket (they wouldn’t let that one go), Michael with a band aide on his nose, looking lost… I didn’t know he went to Ireland after he left the Middle East, then to Las Vegas, then back to LA living in a rented mansion. I didn’t even know he was planning a comeback.

On June 25th, in the early evening around 5:30, so 2:30 LA time, I was sitting in a CeeCee’s with my best friend and he was facing the TV and I was facing away. The sound was off so I didn’t know what was being shown. We were talking about Farrah Fawcett who had just died that morning and how it was probably a blessing, and I mentioned the “rule of three”. My friend, who was looking at the TV over my shoulder, said: “Michael Jackson is dead.” - “What? No way. That can’t be true, he’s a young man. He can’t be dead there must be some mistake. Are you sure that’s what it said?” - “Yeap.” Well I was pretty stunned and I remained stunned for the rest of the day.

I'm still not sure why but His death hit me pretty hard. I didn’t weep and wail and cry. But I did want to know what happened, I mean what really happened. As much as any of us can know. I mean; He was a very private man. The blog posts that follow will chronicle my research, both what I’ve learned in the past three weeks and whatever I find out as more information surfaces, and suppositions that I have formed regarding Michael Jackson. What I think may have motivated Him and His actions. And, I know I’m going out on a limb here, what I think may be indications that Michael Jackson was the Second Coming.

Bar Bet

You know, I've been thinking about this for a couple of weeks now, we could actually make this fly. I mean look at what L. Ron Hubbard did with a bar bet... It's not inconceivable that this could be the next new religion. Seriously. How long did it actually take Jesus' followers to get organized? 60 - 90 years? And with the aid of the internet that cuts the time down considerably. I know we, as clever folk, could really make a great “Second Coming” type religion. And you know, if we don’t do it someone else will.