Michael Jackson memorial service

The Michael Jackson Memorial will go into history books as one of the most watched tv-broadcasts ever. It was most likely even bigger than the Lady Di funeral or any other event. Maybe because this was the final tribute to one of the greatest entertainers of them (maybe even the greatest entertainer) all and the undisputed King of Pop. This will be one of these events of whom people will ask “where were you at that time?”, just like with tragic events as 9/11.

I was at home, locked before the plasma screen television, with mixed feelings because at one side I was devastated this is really the end of an era, and at the other side I was proud that I had the privilege to live in an era with this great performer. This show was a celebration of the person inside him. About what he cared and stood for, the total opposite of what the media made of him. It showed the human and vulnerable side not many people knew existed...

The show was one filled with Goosebumps and tearjerkers. It started with the Gospel Choir opens the Memorial with a song that contained the lyrics "Hallelujah we are going to see the king". At that time, the Jackson brothers carried in the coffin covered with red roses. Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy all carried the glitter glove, one of the trademarks of MJ.

The first ode came from Pastor Lucious W. Smith. “We come together and we remember the time. As long as we remember him, he will always be there to comfort us.” This set the tone of the service. It wasn’t going to be one filled with dance, but it was going to be subdued and really back to the essence and the deepest feelings of this human being. After this kick off, Mariah Carey and her producer Trey Lorenz took the stage for the performance of I’ll Be There (a hit of the Jackson Five, Third Album, 1970).

Queen Latifah said Michael Jackson showed her that you can travel the world as an African-American and that there is a world outside America. She finalized her remembrance with a wonderfully written poem by Maya Angelou:

Beloveds, now we know that we know nothing, now that our bright and shining star can slip away from our fingertips like a puff of summer wind.

Without notice, our dear love can escape our doting embrace. Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon.

In the instant that Michael is gone, we know nothing. No clocks can tell time. No oceans can rush our tides with the abrupt absence of our treasure.

Though we are many, each of us is achingly alone, piercingly alone.

Only when we confess our confusion can we remember that he was a gift to us and we did have him.

He came to us from the creator, trailing creativity in abundance.

Despite the anguish, his life was sheathed in mother love, family love, and survived and did more than that.

He thrived with passion and compassion, humor and style. We had him whether we know who he was or did not know, he was ours and we were his.

We had him, beautiful, delighting our eyes.

His hat, aslant over his brow, and took a pose on his toes for all of us.

And we laughed and stomped our feet for him.

We were enchanted with his passion because he held nothing. He gave us all he had been given.

Today in Tokyo, beneath the Eiffel Tower, in Ghana's Black Star Square.

In Johannesburg and Pittsburgh, in Birmingham, Alabama, and Birmingham, England

We are missing Michael.

But we do know we had him, and we are the world.

After this wonderful poem, Lionel Richie took the stage with Jesus Is Love. Berry Gordy, one of the founders of Motown Records (the record label that has signed the Jackson Five back in the late 60s) told about the young Jackson family who used to play baseball with the Gordy family. It was a long, but also a witty and emotional speech that made you smile through the tears. It showed Michael as a normal young kid that we can all relate to.

"Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer" was the song Stevie Wonder performed. Kobe Bryant remembered us that Jackson was also very concerned about the world and that he is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the performer who donated the most money to charity. Magic Johnson shared a story with the audience about a day he went to Neverland to discuss about a video shoot. He told about them eating Kentucky Fried Chicken together just like normal people like you and I.

A pregnant Jennifer Hudson performed a gospel version of “You Will Be There”. The end took my breath away. It included the voice of Michael Jackson spreading the word of peace and helping each other. It was a very powerful message about something that Michael cared about: helping other people. Reverend Al Sharpton reminded us were Michael Jackson came from. They were just a regular working family and had nothing but a dream. No one thought their dream would ever succeed, yet Michael never gave in and kept fighting and did not accept boundaries. He brought people of all over the world together and made us sing “Heal The World”. Then he directed himself to the children of Michael Jackson and told them there was nothing strange about their dad, it was the world that treated their daddy strangely. It was a powerful statement and he did have a point. From a very young age, the press has haunted down MJ and never they stopped talking about him. The trials were all over the newspapers; every move he made was portrayed on the front pages of every newspaper worldwide… What was left seemed to be an estranged person who was not from this world.

John Mayer played "Human Nature" on his guitar. This was one of the tracks Michael Jackson always performed with a lot of emotions. Brooke Shields, who knows what it is like to be famous at a very young age told about the time they have spend together and how they could leave the adult world behind them when they were together. She compared Michael to The Little Prince.

One of the highlights and one of the most emotional moments was when Jermaine Jackson sung Michael’s favorite song “Smile” by Charley Chaplin. It is unbelievable how someone can keep himself this strong to dedicate a song for his brother who passed away. I really had tears in my eyes… Very beautiful… Martin Luther King III referred to the words of his father: “My father once said ‘In life, one must discover what his calling is. When they do, they must do their jobs so well that the living, the dead and the unborn could do no better.’ He constantly challenged us to become our best by stating ‘If you cannot be a pine on a top of a hill, why, just be a shrub in the valley. But be the best shrub. Be a bush on the side of the road, if you cannot be a tree. If you cannot be the highway, just be a trail. It’s not by size that you win or you fail. You’ve got to be the best of what you are.”

Member of parliament Scheila Jackson Lee told the story of the Parable of the Good Samaritan and also reminded us that everybody is innocent until proven guilty, referring to the many accusations newspapers made about his trials. A very emotional Usher performed the song “Gone Too Soon” and broke down when he hit the last words of the song, standing next to MJ’s golden coffin.

Smokey Robinson, of whom the Jackson Five recorded a track, still remembered the first meeting with the 10-year-old Michael. He had never ever seen such a young person that could understand the serious lyrics about hurt and pain like he could. “My brother is in a place now where he is most certainly going to live forever. But he's going to live forever twice, because he's going to live forever right here - the world will never, ever forget Michael Jackson”. Shaheen Jafargholi, the 12 year old kid from Britain’s Got Talent performed a version of "Who's Lovin' You", reminded us about the young MJ.

“We Are the World” and “Heal the World” closed down the show. Children, artists and family gathered on stage and sung together. This is what Michael Jackson stood for, bringing people together and make them happy through music.

The most emotional moment was when Michael Jackson’s 11-year-old daughter Paris spoke to the audience and spoke the words "ever since I was born, daddy has been the best daddy ever, and I just want to say I love him so much". At this moment I broke down in tears too.

The most lasting impression and empty feeling was when the coffin was carried out on the tones “Man In the Mirror” and all that is left is en empty microphone in a blue spotlight…

Round up of the past month.

Heat wave, heat wave, heat wave! Did anyone say HEAT WAVE (whipping the sweat of my forehead)! It has been over 30°C the whole week, it was even 38°C in the bare sun this afternoon. See I am not complaining about the heat, but even at night the temperature did not drop under 28°C inside my bedroom and if there is one thing I hate, then it must be waking up soaking in my own sweat! Apart from that, I love this weather. The sun is a serious boost for my energy and also my mood. I just cannot be unhappy when the sun is shining!

I have been begging for my exams to be over for weeks now, and now that they are over, I am kind of bored as hell… The first few days after my exams were fun because I didn’t do anything else then sleeping, shopping and enjoying BBQs. Every year, there is this “braderij” in town. It’s a couple of days a year, just before the summer’s reduction period, when all the shop owners take their goods out on the streets. Everyone comes out with friends to enjoy the festivities and to have a drink on in of the many outdoor bars. Of course I went too! I have spent the whole Saturday in town, from the afternoon till way past midnight. Strolling down the busy streets and enjoying a refreshing glass of Sangria during the evening while watching the fireworks. Apart from that, it was mad boring though. It is too hot to go to the stables, wouldn’t want the horses to drop death, it is too hot to do something useful like finally cleaning up all my schoolbooks that I had strategically hidden under my bed.

So to kill the boredom I’ve been digging into my DVD-box and watched many movies of whom I never imagined having. First off was Training Day. Denzel Washington is just line fine wine, he gets better with age. The first movie I saw him in was Cry Freedom, he was in his early 30s I think, but now when he is in his 50s, he has this sex appeal over him that really turns a woman on. Is it the wisdom? Well I don’t know what it is, but he is very handsome and is surely on my list of hottest men alive. Next up was Amistad. This movie is one of my favorites of all time. Why did Djimon Hounsou get the role of Cinque? Acting skills? Well he’s put down a nice and solid performance, but the main reason is that he looks damn good without clothes on! But it is just a picture perfect with him. A body to die for, but also a very beautiful facial structure and skin tone. Oh man, I really love his black-as-the-night skin. But back to the movie, it is a very strong and powerful film that makes a clear statement. Really my kind of movie. I am not into those smooth love movies or happy endings; I like them real and powerful. Then there was Bad Boys I and II, pure amusement and fun. Can’t help it but I adore Martin Laurence’s jokes!

Now that we are talking about handsome men, let us continue with one of my other favorites, Peter Okoye (of P-Square). I can’t help but to drool over this guy whenever I play one of their videos. Some say he looks like Usher, and indeed he does, but Usher grew up to become less cute than he used to be, but at 29, Peter looks cuter than ever.

I should wrap this up because I have a “date” tomorrow. I have promised this old friend that I would show him around in town, but he insisted that I should call it a date. Since it will still be smoking hot tomorrow, I will show him the lovely city beach! It is this place on Linkeroever, next to the Schelde, that has become a cozy beach. I hope I don’t annoy him with all my boring nagging! This seems the first guy in a very long time that doesn’t seem to be in it for the wrong reasons…

To be continued…