Today the person of Michael Jackson expired. His flesh is no longer animated with life and he was pronounced dead.  Yet for the hundreds of millions of people that he touched, his energy, his emotion, and his impact lives on. 

I grew up listening to Michael Jackson.  I can remember being very young and watching the movie Ben in which little Michael Jackson sang Ben the theme song, ( seeMJ sings Ben ) and somehow made me sad about a rat. As a young boy, I went to the Jackson 5 concert in my hometown of Syracuse, NY where they turned the crowd out by doing a dance called “the robot” to the song Dancin Machine. (see Dancin Machine ) I loved the album Off The Wall  especially, and Thriller was just that, a thriller.  So I find myself sad at the loss but amazed at the man’s transcedent reach. 

There will never be another Michael Jackson.  Technology will probably prevent anyone from ever selling that number of albums again. But more than that, Michael Jackson as an artist was an ultra mega talent. He is the guy the entertainers you admire most, admire.  Michael Jackson was a sensitive and caring soul who resonated with intense emotions when he performed.  He held you in a delicate grip with his music.  Truly special. 

He was a mesmerizing yet gentle man who commanded the attention of millions with his intensely energetic performances like a finely tuned super athlete. The world has lost a gifted human being.  

Interestingly, Michael Jackson was quite a humanitarian.  He had substantial charitable work and some of his musical projects like We are the World, Black or White, and Ebony and Ivory had major social implications.  Personally, I wasn’t moved by those songs as much as some of his other material but I can appreciate what he accomplished as a breakthrough/crossover artist who paved the way for other Black artist to make many millions of dollars through owning their own masters, publishing, and gaining mainstream support. 

Many people owe Michael Jackson a great debt. He emerged when Black people where about 20 years out of segregation and the social backlash against Black social and political progress was palpable.  Many Black people in those days found themselves as children wanting to be white. Blacks had as their primary focus then ”fitting in” with the dominant white culture.  See what you have to understand is that Michael Jackson emerged pre Obama, pre Tiger Woods, pre modern (Black Superstars everywhere) NBA,  pre Oprah Winfrey, and pre Hip Hop & R & B superstars.  Michael Jackson emerged at a time when it wasn’t cool to be Black. So in many ways by busting through the suffocating barrage of all white media imagery, music, and pop culture at that time, Michael paid the price for those who would later be able to walk with an unapologetic swagger.  For us he was that star when there weren’t many to choose from. 

So in the end, all I can say is, I loved that man. I admired that man.  He was part of my childhood’s soundtrack.  He was a great man. Greatly misunderstood as well. An unusual upbringing produced an unusual man for sure. He was truly EXTRAORDINARY. 

I will teach my children of his talent, his triumphs, and how he paved the way for others.  I could go on and on, and maybe I will write more later but for now I say,

“Rest in Peace Michael Jackson.

May God be pleased with you”.

Back in the day there was a song that was very popular and at the time I thought it was a bit annoying.  Bobby Mc Ferrin created a tune called “Dont worry, Be Happy.”  It was a simple tune to carry you thru life’s troubles. A dimissal of all of one’s problems, worries, and challenges and a dopey call to just be happy. Oh my god, I thought it was grossly irritating at the time.  Ok I confess, it still is, but here is the point.  There is something immensely profound about tending to one’s happiness.

Does not it seem plausible that one of the most important, if not the most important reason for being is to make yourself happy?  To achieve and not be happy. To work and not be happy. To learn and not find contentment or enjoyment in our living is in many ways to miss the point of it all.  Many of us our so consummed with living that we have lost sight of what even brings us happiness.

I challenge you now to stop and write ten things that make you happy.  You may find that not all of them require spending much money.  For some, it’s a walk with someone they care about.  For others, it may be a glass of wine with friends.  Still others may enjoy reading or a movie or time with their family.  The lesson is this.  Learn what makes you happy.  List those things out.  Now, what exactly is that list? 

It is your personal happiness formula. 

And while everyone is fretting over the market and the economy, you make sure you keep applying your formula consistently. This is the beauty of it all.  That inspite of all the current challenges, you can still control your own happiness. It doesn’t require wisdom to know when things are bad. 

The wisdom is in knowing you can identify what makes you happy and see to it that you get that…know matter what.

So although I am not a flighty optimist, I know some of what makes me happy.  And whether the chips are down or not, I am going to make sure to keep my happiness formula near and regularly take an ample dose. I kindly suggest you do the same.