The Tragedy That Was Michael

It's been more than 2 weeks since Michael Jackson's sudden death on June 25, 2009 and since then there has been relentless media coverage in the US that has not waned to this day. I am not a Jackson 5 fan nor am I a big MJ fan. But his death has made me realize how unfair the world was to Michael Jackson. Michael from the time he learned how to talk was conditioned to become an entertainer. This was a boy who grew up without a normal childhood. He was surrounded by people who over-protected him and limited his human interaction to his family, his record producers and people who all had a bested interest in him one way or the other. It is no wonder that Michael Jackson went into adulthood in a suspended state of childhood. His emotional maturity was probably near the bottom of the chart. Like a child who has not much experience in dealing with adults, he was full of trust and wonder. And because this is the big bad world...Michael was exposed to the wolves in people's clothing. This man-child was betrayed so many times that he simply did not know how to deal with it maturely. Instead he retreated into himself, shrouded himself with mystery and lived in a world he created...one that was happy, fantasy-like, away from reality. But because of this, he became an object of curiosity, the public that he so wanted to please turned on him because he deviated from the perceived norm of what is and should be a normal man. The many plastic surgeries done to his nose and face were seen as pathological rather than reconstructive, his wanting to be with children was seen as a perversion rather than maybe he just wanted to be around innocence and simplicity. Michael Jackson is a perfect example of a tragic life. He was misunderstood, maligned, ridiculed and looked upon with contempt...for what? ...for not conforming to the world's idea of normal? Even after death he remains an enigma to people...his life, his children, his physical and psychological health continue to be cruelly dissected by media not considering the fact that his young children have lost a much loved father. Whatever Michael Jackson was I believe that his dreams were simple dreams...to have a loving world and make it a better place for you, for me, for his children.