When you were growing up there was one thing you wanted - A big birthday party with lots of your friends there, right? As you grew up you, maybe started to plan a wedding, you wanted everyone to come - eh? And as you are growing up, you go to a funeral, one that is widely attended, and you think to yourself, "when I die I hope I have a lot of people come to my funeral." This is what I thought and still think as I grow older. Will anyone come to my funeral? Will I be remembered for something?
Steed's cousin died suddenly a few years back and the entire town of Ringgold showed up, the wake was 5 hours long. Everyone came out to see his family, his friends, and to say good bye to someone who died tragically. When my grandfather died, all of my grandmothers' friends, drove real slow in their big cars to the funeral to support their friend's loss even though he had been very sick for a long time.
When you hear on the news, that no one came to the funeral for someone, it's sad we think. And then we see something as grandiose as the Jackson Memorial we are grossed out but the enormous turnout. Or are we?
Remember folks, who still can, when Elvis died, when Kurt Cobain or John Lennon died, even Princess Diana died all at some level in their careers, gone with minutes and then had a termendous reception of fans and media to give their support. Today's media is larger - biggger-more available then ever before. So, think if this was back in the 1970's it wouldn't been "so big". From a media stand point. Remember John Jr, back at JFK's funeral saluting his father?
Remember the streets lined in Memphis for Elvis, Remember the turn out at the Dakota building for John Lennon. Think this: When Michael Jackson died where were you? I unfortunately was standing in front Coke products. (Maybe I should have been down a few feet at the Pepsi bottles) I was in the car on Howell Mill Rd when I heard about Kurt Cobain. Where you were when 911 happened? Me, I was on I-75 across from Dave and Busters (a game/entertainment center-maybe a sign that this wasn't a fun and game moment.)
I am hearing a lot of men of the cloth (pastors/minsters) complaining that this was "mass confusion + secular messianism." Well, that's funny coming from a mega-church minister. Mass confusion on what? Someone that reached out millions, probably more than these ministers will ever know? Secular Messianism-HUH?
HUH? Oy vey folks! This is where I get angry-ask my mom she'll tell you.
If you didn't like his music, never bought his music, like me, although I "like" it and grew up with it, I never was a huge fan of his. BUT I respected his talents, applauded his motivation and I appreciated it. Just like Led Zepplin, never liked them, but in the honest words of Al Kooper, "I got them."
SO that aside, hear me out. So back to the men of the cloth remarks. Ok Jesus tells us to love, honor and have faith with God to be a better person. All religions come from that kind of center. I don't care what you are... even atheisism has its center of widsom let's call it. It's just some folks got bored and branched out and now we have a huge collection of religions.
When I hear these men of the cloth remarks, I hear envy, jealousy, greed, lust-see where I am going with this? Seven Dealy Sins! These men should be acknowledging the fact that MJ (as well all other musicians, actors, dancers) was trying get people to escape on a journey that would let them forget their troubles. Move people, make them sing a long, cry, laugh, and think. That's all.
Ever heard of "we are gonna rock your world?"
And what are these mega-churches doing, I don't know-but I have to been to one, and to me it's way too much focus on "HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN GET IN HERE?" And to me, that's mass confusion + secular messianism!
Think about how this one man reached out to folks all over the world, more so than, anyone on this earth in our current lifetime. He shared his talents with the world from age 5, he changed alot with the entertainment business as well as creative process. He was misunderstood, alot. But wasn't Elvis, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain? Even Marilyn Monroe and Martin Luther King for that matter. Yeah it takes a certain ego to get up on a stage and move people with simple songs with simple words, but it takes a man to share the emotion of love to all.
I honestly believe MJ was definitely misunderstood and we as a society put alot of pressure on him to be who he was. We don't know the whole story, we never will, but we do know is that he brought a certain, love -joy-happiness-to all of us. No matter if you are a fan or not.
Go read the words to Jackson's song, Man in the Mirror. That's his song like Dylan's Blowin the Wind or John Lennon's Imagine or Joe South's Walk a Mile in My Shoes or Johnny Cash's Man in Black (the song where he talks about why he wore the color), listen to Billy Joe Shaver's Live Forever - read the words go find another song that you can move and build upon it.
So back to the funeral attendence, does it matter? Not really in the grand scheme of things but some times it makes you want to reach out and love someone even better knowing that it will make a difference in your world and theirs! So you will be remembered whether they show up at your funeral or not-as one that loved you no matter what.
nice job and enjoyable rant
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