That was It? - The Price of Fame - Michael Jackson - "King of Pop"

I know I won’t be able to sleep until I get put on paper what I feel. I went to see Michael Jackson’s “This is it”, the documentary of his final days as he was creating his last world concert tour. I surprise myself in wanting to talk about him because I was never a “fan” even though I liked much of his music. I occasionally paid attention to the sensationalism of his life and career, but did not follow his life in detail.
I went to see the documentary to see what I would experience emotionally reflecting again on my experience of him as a teenager briefly in a clinical environment. As I have observed the rave reviews calling him the “King of Pop” I have also heard many of his critics malign his character and lifestyle. I decided once and for all I wanted to formulate my own opinion.
Without preconceived expectations I found myself mesmerized by this man’s talent and humility. I also acquired a renewed and intensified esteem for the influence this man had literally over innumerable adults and teenagers as I witnessed their genuine respect for his gifts and his character. It took me back more than thirty years when I spend but a few moments with the boy. Other than being transfixed by his technical creativity and discipline I experienced the identical feelings watching him on film that I did in his presence many years ago. I experienced the sensitivity, vulnerability, and innocence of a little boy.
“That was it” is my way of saying there should and could have been much more of Michael Jackson for us. I believe “This Is It” is as much of a sad commentary on a talented man and an extraordinary life extinguished too soon as it is a tribute to his musical legacy. His talent was paralleled with tremendous anxiety and drive for perfection. Although he originally paid attention to his health, he eventually compromised his health to satisfy the demands of his intense lifestyle. Perhaps the attraction of fame and fortune is more appealing to many than the less glamorous and marketable aspect of health, but in Michael Jackson’s case the loss of his health not only terminated his career but more importantly his life.
Had there been a reasoning voice among those people who most influenced his life to pay attention to balance he would probably still be with us. A healthy life (which requires balance) cannot be purchased or negotiated, it must be earned! The medications to make him sleep, wake him up and give him energy to keep him producing cost him proper rest and essential nutrition which ultimately helped generate the imbalance in his life that literally destroyed his heart.
I admire what I believe was a very sensitive and powerfully creative individual who brought joy and vision to many of his fans. What I fear however is a deadly influence upon many who do not understand the price he paid for disrespecting the laws of good health. His death is even more of a tragedy when it is not acknowledged that it could have been prevented...that is the message that needs to parallel his contribution to the music world as “King of Pop”.