Dear Michael

In my early years as a young child, I still remember vividly how I would grab a bottle of powder, sprinkle some on the floor, slip on a pair of socks and attempt the moonwalk. I tried at it for hours, relentlessly and I still cannot quite master it I would say. I grew up listening to him, on records, then VCRs, then VCDs and tapes and finally DVDs and MP3s. The point I am trying to make is that he has surpassed generations after generations of music and what he gave to the world is unlike any artiste till date. A child today may not know much about Adolph Hitler’s reign or the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. but would definitely know who Michael Jackson was. Alas, his famous moonwalk left generations after generations in a daze, attempting to master the art of moving like him.

It makes me tear talking about him in the past tense and even though two years have passed since his demise, the loss is fresh and reverberates within the capacity of this world. The world has lost not just a world-class artiste but a wonderful human being who leaves behind much to be emulated. The world yearns for more love for others, for selflessness and for unconditional care and concern and MJ was one of the few artistes who went beyond his career to reach out to others. It was not for personal aggrandizement, but for pure love; a rare sight in the world today.

I still remember the events of 25^th of June every so clearly, with the images flashing within my brain like a slideshow – an extremely melancholic one. I still cannot quite digest as to how fortunate I am to have been in the same city as him during his last moments on earth. So near, yet so far. The events had transpired as such:

I was having an early dinner with my friends at a Burger King outlet opposite of the UCLA campus, within stone’s throw from Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre. It was then one of my friends received an SMS from someone we knew regarding an incident with MJ and how he was in critical condition or had possible died. Being a huge fan of MJ, I dismissed it as a distasteful joke or a nasty attempt at humour and pushed away the thought. It was then that we heard helicopters and noticed media commotion in the distance through the window pane. My heart plummeted and so did whatever I was holding and we dashed out towards the melee gathered outside the medical centre. With my heart beating wildly in my ribcage and ignoring the media vans lined up alongside the road, I approached someone in the crowd and asked her what was going on. She replied as frantically that MJ had been brought into the hospital earlier in a critical state and could possibly be dead and were waiting for a press release on the outcome. Upon confirming the news, my friend (also an ardent fan) and I just stood there for a couple of minutes, gap-mouthed trying to understand the implications of the whole situation. It did not matter that there was chilly breeze that day and did not matter that the press kept pushing past us, the situation felt surreal. It did not register till much later, that this could indeed be true. As we stood with the hundreds of others, waiting for an announcement, we got interviewed by BBC radio as well. But more than anything what touched me were the hundreds of other fans gathered, grieving together and holding each others’ hands in deep prayer and with apprehensive looks splashed across. Some were crying, some were tense, others were hugging and some praying. It was surreal. But it happened. He was literally footsteps away in his final hours on earth; at a walking distance. I know that what transpires is hardly ever within our control, especially something like that, and so I thank God for the opportunity to have at least been this close to my treasured idol in his last moments on earth (for driving me to go for a summer exchange to UCLA).

Walking home heavy-heartedly back to our apartment in Westwood, Los Angeles, we realized that however grievous the situation was; that he was in a better place. A place without slander, false accusations and law suits and in a place where he was not judged wrongfully and given the due peace he has always deserved.

He was not just an artiste with the voice of an angel; he was a human being with a heart and a yearning to be understood by the world. But the tabloids did not leave him be even till his last breath. Today, I salute MJ for making the world a better place, through his music and the simplest humanitarian acts. He has provided aid to so many charities worldwide; a philanthropist who wanted to make a personal difference to the lives of many. I salute you for the music you passed to generations and generations beyond to appreciate and treasure. I salute you for the dedication towards loving everything around you unconditionally – from animals to nature to children and your peers. I salute you for being a wonderful human being.

If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make that, change ~ Michael Jackson.

We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

Love you Michael.