Remembering Michael Jackson...we'll never forget

So it's 1 am. I'm sitting here in my room in Jester and I still can't believe it. I don't know how to feel right now. I'm still shocked.

I heard the initial news report around 4:30 central time today but I didn't think too much of it. Probably just a typical rush to the hospital, he'll go in, get out and it will be nothing more than a blurb on Extra or Entertainment Tonight on Friday or something.

But then the reports continued to come and it got worse and finally, the news that everyone had feared the most came true. Michael Jackson had passed away.

You don't put "death" and "Michael Jackson" together. It's something you don't expect. I know it sounds silly but that's how big of a figure the man was. Michael Jackson was much more than just an entertainer. He was even bigger than legend. We've seen this man do brilliant things in videos, at concerts, on stage, etc. We assume that nothing can happen to him. That no matter what, he'll still be there wearing the fedora, the high socks, and the glove.

That's why it's so hard for me to stomach this. I know, I know, I never knew Michael Jackson for real. We never met. He wasn't a friend. You might be wondering "It's not like someone you actually know died." But folks, you don't realize how much his work inspired me throughout my life. He's done so much for me, as well as the world.

When they finally confirmed the news at about 5:30 pm today, I did something I hadn't done in a long time. I cried. Tears welled up in my eyes, I had goosebumps. This icon that I grew up admiring, watching, imitating...just like that, he was gone. The superhero of a performer/musician/entertainer. Gone forever.

Tonight was difficult. I was at work all throughout the evening. I would have wanted to stay glued to the TV and help remember this great icon. But things happened so fast. I had to do two shows for orientation, I didn't have time to process it all. So I'm sitting here now, mourning, remembering, and looking ahead to the future. I don't know if you realize how much I idolized Michael Jackson.

I'm 21. Since the day I was born, in 1988, Michael has been a superstar...a household name. My first memory of him was during the Halftime show of the 1992 Super Bowl. The signature white shirt, black pants, white socks, and black shoes.

As I got older, I started getting into his music more. I started checking for his classic albums. I only wish I could have had the opportunity to go to one of his concerts.

I was never the most athletic kid growing up. Didn't play many sports. I never got a lot of girls, didn't get a lot of dates. I didn't have much so I turned to music to keep me sane. And Michael's music was at the top, keeping me going.

Michael Jackson is probably the reason why I got involved with dancing, with popping, street dance, etc. I remember being 13 and 14 years old, spending countless hours on Friday and Saturday evenings just studying his videos, his performances, his moves. I'd download videos on our 56k AOL Internet connection, which would take like hours. But it was worth it.

Poetry in motion. Michael didn't invent popping or that style of dances. But he took it and brought it into the mainstream. It became his own unique style.

Michael had a feel for music. He could feel every beat. Every rhythm. Every instrument. And it reflected when he performed. I wanted to moonwalk like him. I wanted to glide like him. Every leg kick, arm wave, spin, I wanted to do it like Mike.

I remember when I was 15, I dressed up as Michael Jackson for a Halloween party and it was one of the best nights of my life. There's just something about the hat and the glove that puts you in the mood to do work on the dance floor.

Whenever I had a bad day, I'd go to my room, put my headphones on, and listen to some Michael Jackson songs. I'd be in my own world. I didn't even care about the real world. I didn't care about people, about trying to fit in, about the struggles of school.

Listen, Michael was not a saint. Regardless of whatever issues he got into, he probably had some mental problems as well. I don't like talking about his personal life because I don't think it's fair to judge him and his body of work on his personal life. We don't know if he really did what he did but regardless, it shouldn't affect how we judge him as an artist, doing what he did best.

Michael Jackson wasn't America. He was global. He could unite countries, cultures, languages, etc. You want to know how you've made a mark on the world, you can't do it any better than how he did it.

So what will Michael's legacy be? He'll definitely go down as the best. I never lived through the Elvis Presley era but I can already predict that MJ's status/legend will surpass the aura that surrounds Elvis.

I'm just thankful that I was a witness of his talent. 50 years from now, if I'm still fortunate to be alive, people will still be playing his songs, watching his videos, dancing his moves. And I'll proudly help keep his legacy going, along with millions more around the world.

Rest in peace. We'll never forget you Michael, because we can't and we won't.