Did you have to go?

A week ago, Michael Jackson passed away.

It was 5 a.m. The train was about to reach Delhi in an hour or so. I was tweeting via my mobile when I saw the tweet. “MJ no more”. I was taken aback, but dismissed it as just another rumor amongst the spate of rumors that haunted his life. But then soon enough twitter was deluged with the news of his demise. I was stunned. My heart broke. It was the end of an era.

I have been listening to his songs all week. I was always his fan. The plastic surgeries, the controversies never bothered me. I was in love with his music, his dance, his smile. Speaking of his smile, I feel he had one of the most genuine and sweet smiles ever. See:

MJ smiles. Collage by me Click for a larger view (Note:All images have been googled for)

(Update: This collage took me a long time to make. Not because it was tough making it, but because it was tough finding smiling pics of MJ on the internet. I had to take screen shots from some of his videos. It just goes to show that maybe the internet/media does not want to show him smiling )

Could not bring myself to write about him for a whole week. Enough has been written already. The blogosphere was brimming with MJ moments after the announcement of his demise. The media is going crazy writing about his ways of life, his eccentricities, his children, speculations about whether he’s the father, the number of pills in his stomach. Yes, agreed, that celebrities’ lives are bound to be open to public and media scrutiny. It is natural that their lives will be written about. But why only the controversial stuff? Do they write about the person that he was? Do they mention he was kind and funny and human? I would just like to share a few videos with you all. Watch and smile

Everyone is quirky. Everyone has their eccentricities. Some have them more than others. But that does not mean they are not human. That does not mean we should rip apart their lives with controversies and allegations all the time. Once in a while, appreciate what good they have done. Appreciate the person inside. Sadly, it indeed is true then. A hundred good deeds and the world forgets. One misdeed and the world remembers. Always.

I wish the world was a kinder place, where good held more importance than bad.

RIP Michael Jackson.