a flash of delight

I was shocked by Michael Jackson’s death. Sometimes Twitter is my news source (mostly accurate, sometimes not) and so I kept checking back to see if it was really true. I was truly sad to hear he had passed away. Say what you want but his music is just as relevant now as it was the day they pressed record, I’m sure it will remain so for generations to come. I think Michael’s death hit a little closer to home (literally) because I grew up just a few miles from Neverland Ranch. Growing up it seemed like at least one of my friend’s dads worked on his ranch. When Elizabeth Taylor got married here I remember riding my bike through town, getting yelled at by security at what was then The Grand Hotel and catching a glimpse of Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson in “my” town. It was pretty awesome. When our local soccer team couldn’t afford new uniforms Michael Jackson chipped in. At our little post office he had PO Box 9. When my Girl Scout troop was camping at Midland School there was a fire and we had to evacuate to the closest place it was Neverland Ranch. The fire was scary but the Ranch was cool. Whether you like him or not Michael Jackson was a legend. Nigel Lythgoe said, “We will not see his like again. He changed the world. He changed music. He changed dance.” When Michael Jackson first moonwalked on TV Fred Astaire called him and told him what a wonderful dancer he was. Thriller is the best selling record of all time. He is the best selling male pop artist of all time. Wow. But in spite of all of the fame and all of the celebrity he didn’t seem to have much peace in this life. I hope he can finally find some in the next. photo