I have completely ignored this whole Michael Jackson situation.

I am only 26 years old and when Michael Jackson was at his height- I was growing up listening to The Beatles, The Stones, Neil Young, Janis, Led Zeppelin & Eric Clapton. I pretty much knew very little of popular music as a kid.

By the time 3rd grade rolled around I was a SUPER fan of Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson and Color Me Badd. In fact, Paula & Color Me Badd was my very first concert when I was in the third grade. The point is- by the time I knew a musical world outside my parent’s tastes- Michael Jackson was already a joke. He was already someone being made fun of instead of lauded for his music.

Anyhow- I didn’t see his memorial on TV but the news just came on… of course 15 minutes of the 30 minute news was on the memorial. And I will say this: That little girl of his made me see him as a human being. It was heartbreaking even if it was a 30 second blurb in that spectacle.

I just feel really bad for those poor children. They clearly loved their father, as odd as that sounds to the outside world who saw him as “Michael Jackson”, he was someone’s father and no child should grow up without one. My heart goes out to them. Even at my age, I don’t think I am equipped to lose a parent. I cannot imagine what it feels like to lose a parent at such a young age.