I just finished Moonwalk by Michael Jackson, and I want to write about what I’ve taken away from the book not only about Michael, but about life in general.
For starters, I think Michael Jackson was one of the sweetest and kindest men on Earth. Even from a young age, he wanted to give and share with others. Reading about how he would take his mother’s jewelry and give it to his teachers as gifts, and how he would share his candy with the neighborhood children, melted my heart.
Speaking of his mother, I learned that she had polio as a child, which must have been incredibly difficult for her. I think Katherine had so much strength considering everything she went through in life, yet she still remained gentle. I believe Michael inherited his resilience and kindness from her.
Michael was a nuanced person, like all of us, but for some reason he was painted one way in the media, and that image was sold to people as absolute fact. I don’t think it’s difficult to understand that a person may not show every part of themselves to everyone. We all reserve certain parts of ourselves for certain people and situations. You and I don’t truly know what Michael was like day to day as a person.
He was shy because there were so many eyes on him, which is understandable. Being watched by millions of people would be overwhelming. At the same time, he stood by his beliefs and feelings, and if something wasn’t right, he wasn’t afraid to speak up. I admire that about him. He was passionate and strived for perfection in everything he did. If it wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t right. He was a dreamer and someone who believed in making his visions a reality. He has inspired me to go after what I want and make my life better.
From what I took away from the book, all he wanted was the freedom to create and to bring joy to children. Children seemed to be his source of happiness. They weren’t judgmental or looking to benefit from him. They were genuine and innocent. He wanted to help as many children as he could, and I think he achieved that in his lifetime.
I want to keep this as short as I can, so I’ll conclude with this, Michael was genuinely a unique individual. I believe people who are different from what society considers "normal" are often shunned because the world doesn’t always know how to accept those who challenge its expectations of how a person should look, behave, or live. If Michael hadn’t been as unique as he was, I don’t think he would have had the extraordinary impact on the world that he did and continues to have.
It has been 17 years since his passing, and he still holds so much significance. There will never be another person quite like him. I’m grateful that he shared his talents with the world, even though he endured relentless scrutiny and painful rumors. It hurts knowing that he experienced so much pain toward the end of his life, but I also hope he found happiness in his children and in the fans who continued to support him. I really hope there’s an afterlife, and I hope Michael is there, resting peacefully.
Love you Mikey bby <3
