Long live the King

Today the world pays their final respects to Michael Jackson.

Like everyone else, I grew up with his music around. As a kid I couldn't listen to "Thriller" by myself at night because it scared the crap out of me. Come to think of it, it still does. But later, in my 20's, someone special gave me a deeper connection to Michael Jackson because she was a big fan. I remember rushing with her to the Virgin Megastore in Burbank for the midnight release of his last album, "Invincible". Good times. Sadly, in the end, he wasn't invincible, and neither was that relationship. But I'll never be able to listen to "Rock With You" or "PYT" and not think of her.

That's the magical thing about music. Doesn't matter how much time goes by, you hear a song and *poof!* you're transported back to a moment you probably didn't even recognize as special at the time. And even though the moments we're brought back to are sometimes bittersweet, they make us who we are. As they say, 'tis better to have listened to Michael Jackson and lost, than never to have listened to him at all.

So long MJ.