A late tribute to Michael Jackson

I meant to write this post quite a while ago, but was sidetracked with kids and moving. I realize there is a lot of controversy surrounding Michael Jackson. Alleged crimes, plastic surgeries, his infamous dangling the baby. It's not my place to judge others based on their personal decisions or accused actions. In the end, one fact remains and perhaps is the most important one of all. He changed the way we think of music and inspired countless millions with his words.

I can remember the very first time I heard "Man in the Mirror." It was such a life-changing moment for me. I was going through a pretty rough time in my life. My mother had been diagnosed with cancer only about a month after my little brother came to live with us. He was only six months old, coming from an abusive home. I was having a particularly hard time with school and friends, and had recently become discouraged at church because I was the only LDS youth in my county. It was just a very dismal time in my life and I wasn't sure how to turn things around. So one day, I went to the mall with a couple of friends and decided to peruse a few cd's. I picked Michael Jackson's Number Ones cd, put the head phones on, and scanned the bar code. There were only three songs to choose from on the preview, so I chose "Man in the Mirror." I could immediately feel the power and emotions from this song. The message was so clear to me, and I knew that all I had to do was look to myself to make the change in me that I needed; both to be a better person, and to deal with the adversity that comes from living in a world that doesn't understand you.

Indeed from that day forward, Michael Jackson has had a permanent place in my heart. I bought the cd, and listen to it on a regular basis even now. That's not the only song that has meaning to me, but it's the one that changed me. I truly do believe that the world can be a better place if we look at ourselves and make the changes we want to see in others.

I know he'll never know what he did for me, but I like to think that "in the beyond" he can see what good has come from his music. Thank you, Michael, for having the courage to follow your dreams.