REST IN PEACE MICHAEL JOSEPH JACKSON

I reflected on the emotions of today. My sympathy for the Jackson Family, and the millions upon millions of people who where his fans. My heart goes out to his 3 children, I pray that all involved will do right by them.

I reflect back to my childhood, and why my tears at 36 flow freely for a man i never met. Through all the rumors and reports and so called "strange" or "weirdness" that it was said that Michael did, i remember Thriller. While i know he had a career well before Thriller, that is where my Michael Jackson memories start. Thriller was the first "adult" album i owned, and yes i still have it on vinyl. I loved every song on that album, i could sing every song on that album, i owned penny loafers *with quarters in them*(the start of my love of preppy), I had the buttons, posters, purses, books, etc. If it said MJ i had it, every thing but the glove and the jacket *yall know the jacket i am talking about*

Michael represents my childhood, a time that was a bit rocky cause my parents were splitting up, but the happy times of me trying to moon walk, of my family sitting around watching the Thriller Video like it was a movie. The play fights me and my Dad the uber Prince fan would have over who was better Prince or Michael *yall remember those*
MJ reperesnts those of us who were different, a little left *or right* of center. He was our retreat, our escape, and sometimes our friend. While the generation before us remembers him more as the kid who had a voice like a grown man, and the one after us remembers him as this larger than life icon, that was adored the world over.
But to my generation he is our childhood. The happy memories that we have *no matter how few there were*
This is why i cry and weap and my heart aches because it feels like my childhood the whole thing has died.

It did not even occur to me until he passed that i owe every MJ Album, Tape or CD he has released from Off The Wall on *i got off the wall after Thriller* I even have Blood on the Dance Floor on CD.....

So to Michael J. Jackson I pray you rest in peace, and know a generation of people will miss you more than you could ever imagin.