This Is It

Last night I finally watched the DVD This Is It about Michael Jackson. What I learned is that I didn't know the man at all; nor did I understand him. He was an American Icon, and The King of Pop is certainly a valid title to give him. Yet, he was - is - so much more than that.

To society, Michael Jackson was a controversial figure that got pushed from one extreme of "Beloved Superstar" to the other of "Rejected Weirdo." And to some, he was even labeled a pervert, based on nothing more than carefully spun lies, accusations, and media dramatization.

The DVD gave me a bit of an inside peek at the man that was Michael. And as I watched the unfolding documentary of what was to be his final concert tour, I realized that I was seeing the man for the first time - not through the distortions of society, but through a clear and undistorted camera lens without agenda...nothing more. And there he was: Michael. And he was beautiful.

Not that I ever held anything against him; no. It's just that I never took the time to see beyond all the hype to the true man. All I was privy to came through the distorted filters of the media or even at times, his own family. I chose not to give any of it much attention or energy, but what that left me with was a shadowy concept of who Michael Jackson really was.

Watching him last night - looking deeply into his energy -  I saw a man struggling to express the fullness of his beauty, yes; yet also a man emanating nothing but pure love for all the people - the dancers, musicians,  managers, stagehands, techs, and on and on and on - that were working for him. He held them like family, so they weren't working for him, but with him. The manager said it beautifully when he told the newly chosen dancers, "The dancers are an extension of MJ," and they were. Everyone was. They were all held as an extension of Michael, for him, with him. Like family. It was truly beautiful.

 The other thing I saw was a man with a vision - a vision of a world free of separation.... separation from ourselves, from each other, from the Earth... Through Michael's eyes, I could see a world of one loving family among all things. He was a perfectionist to be sure, yet this tendency supported the depth of his vision -  the vision he was trying to convey to the masses - of a free world. Free of hate; free of distortion; free of separation; free of rejection; free of destruction... He could see it; he could feel it; and I understood last night how deeply he wanted to share it so that it might be created.

And I began to understand the depth of the man himself - Michael Jackson. Such a depth he had that few could grasp it. When something was out of alignment with his vision, he'd simply bring it back on track. There was never any yelling, blaming, accusing, chastising, etc... no drama at all. He'd simply state what his vision was and how the execution of it was lacking, and then give the tempo or a description of what he was wanting, and move on... no energy behind it; just conviction to meet his vision 100%. He'd simply snap his fingers to the proper tempo so folks could get it; or move into a brief example of the way the rhythm of the dance paused for a bit, off tempo; or he'd say something like, "You've got to let it simmer there. Just let it simmer." And the folks knew exactly what he was going for then, and would get right back on track with it. And then Michael would smile and say, "God bless you" and mean it - not just because they did what he wanted, but because to him, what they were doing was truly beautiful and he wanted it to be executed in as pure a way as possible.

And WOW what a master he was! So SMOOTH in both voice and movement; so completely expert in the art of his life, and as the artist of his life. When I realized that he had choreographed the entire show, I was beyond impressed. Yet, the man's heart and vision went so far beyond that, and that's what really impressed me. He was after the feeling state and the energetic perception of his audiences. That was clear. Every tiny little bit of that show was geared toward opening people up to a certain feeling and to connect them with his message on a deep and personal level. And in my view, his message was simple: LOVE. Love yourself, love each other, love the Planet.

I did love Michael Jackson. I felt sorry for him, too. I honored his journey and his soul. Yet now, with a clearer perspective of the man, I love him even more. I might even put him in the category of "unsung hero" or even "spiritual master" despite the reality that his teachings remained largely hidden through the eyes of society and within the dramas of his life. Yet that doesn't mean that they weren't there. Clearly they were and are, at least to those who look through the eyes of their heart rather than through the distorted lens of society.

How interesting it is to me that he called this tour "This Is It" and it was. It makes me wonder how broadly he held the meaning behind that title, how expansive the message was to him, and how personally it touched him. Even from the documentary, it is clear how intimately he felt the message, and how strongly he felt about conveying it, for it was a message of not only the man, but of the deepest part of the man's heart. And that is not something to be taken lightly.

Michael Jackson, I have learned from you, I have grown from you, and I have been touched by you. May you rest in the peace, grace, love, and light that you were born to shine for the rest of us. And may I have even a glimmer of that to offer the world when I die...

©2010 Cecilia L. Zúñiga. A Year To Live. All Rights Reserved. Reprints, copies or reproductions of any kind must be accompanied by copyright credit line.