Audio Rendition of "Remembering Michael:  His Authentic Life and -- Like All Great Individuals Who Enhance and Advance Culture -- His Courage in Shattering the Cultural Mold -- the "Jar," the Laundry Room'"
by SillyMickel Adzema

Remembering Michael

For weeks I've been pondering Michael Jackson's life and his tragic and unfair persecution for basically succeeding at what our religion and culture say are the aims of life.  (See my article titled, "Message from Michael.")

I'd written an article in 2004 defending him during his persecution; I did an audio rendition of it for Entertonement, titled "In Memoriam: Michael Jackson's 2004 Fiasco..." which ended up including some updates and comments, some personal asides of my own, and some unplanned eulogy type comments that came out of me, as I got caught up in remembering how Michael had been scapegoated; and then I was inspired to write "Message from Michael," in which I evaluated what one should take from a life with such soaring highs and then a crashing to Earth heard round the world.

All of this got me to thinking about culture's double-fuck on us all: First, in its brutally separating us from our source of life, guidance, and inspiration and creating a blank slate at birth, which would otherwise have been a map of life, with contact numbers directly to God and technical assistance angels -- a kind of Jacob's Ladder for when the going got rough; then, culture tells you to be an individual and aspire to greatness and puts up examples of people who have done so and made a difference for their society and the world; and then culture punishes severely any one who is exceptional and shows it and/or strives to do exactly as the cultural teachings were inspiring him or her to do. 

And the question was, why would culture be structured that way, and why would people hate exactly those kinds of people that would most likely be the ones set up for future generations to learn from? And the answer follows from the basic sickness of the societal members, which as mentioned is caused by the double-binding culture. So we have sick societies and cultures, and within them we strive, still, for authentic lives of richness of experience, truth, love, and connection with our spiritual roots of strength to be the unique person God intended, as well as awareness of the sacred map of our destiny, buried along with the source, which when found provides a felt inner compass that, if followed, daily brings us closer to God, more openness of feeling, and more desire for spreading love, joy, and for giving of oneself, and eventually brings us down the line directly to liberation -- all of which must be done, fighting a culture and its sick members who want us to be anything, anything (that is like them) but not exceptional. And, again, the contradictory or mind-fucking quality of the cultural tenets is seen in that it is only through people who defy and buck the soul-murdering immersion in the cultural bosom that culture improves, that people receive help for their sufferings, and that anything good greater than the average can come into the world.

This essay, with audio rendition, reflects on Michael Jackson's life, in particular the potential for this global iconic figure's message to be muddled considering his life's profile in polar opposites. For nearly four decades he soared and received worldwide acclaim. He was lauded for his philanthropic work and his concern for children in need or in suffering. Then, suddenly, largely because of an intimate documentary that he allowed to be made about his daily and personal life, wherein he invited the creators into his private world, his home, and to be at his side for days, and to interview him in depth over that period, a wildfire began. Ultimately this flare-up turned into an inferno and brought him down from his soaring heights.

He spent the last five years of his life between the poles of hatred and love, aware that while a huge number of people loved him with intensity and devotion, especially his loyal fans, that a huge uprising of reactionary, moralistic haters and punishers kept him continually in their sights.

With the help of the media talk show circus, who couldn't resist the easy target for mean-spirited jokes and ridicule that any authentic person's life makes when it comes under the spotlight, he saw his life's work and his philanthropic intentions and his humanitarian works shoveled over to be replaced with wall-to-wall media outpourings showing any one and everyone of that ilk and that need, making themselves look a little better by piling on the ongoing scapegoating with their own moralistic jabs and putdowns.

For days I've been pondering Michael Jackson's life and his tragic and unfair persecution for basically succeeding at what our religion and culture say are the aims of life.

I'd written an article in 2004 defending him during his persecution. I published an audio clip of that article here on Entertonement.com, titled "In Memoriam: Michael Jackson's 2004 Fiasco…….  This clip is a personal reading of my 2004 article. I decided to do the reading for Michael and to do it with the flavor and style, also the passion, I'd intended for the article originally.

This heartfelt, personal reading ended up including some updates and comments, some personal asides of my own, and some unplanned eulogy-type passages that came out of me, as I got caught up in remembering how Michael had been scapegoated. As a result of this immersion in Michael, I was inspired to write the current clip "Message from Michael," in which I evaluate what one should take from a life with such soaring highs and then a crashing to Earth heard round the world.

I consider Michael's life, but also the cultural obstacles that he, and all Great Individuals, must buck and defy in order to be able to add to their world and their culture's overall worth or "goodness."

So, in evaluating Michael's message, I had to show what a contrast and example he was  in relation to both cultural functions - the destruction of the individual self and then the immersion in the fake world and its substitute gratifications to keep us unaware of our double mind-fuck.

(Cont'd, top of next col.)

Introduction, My Personal Tale, cont'd

(Cont'd, from bottom of col. 1

Since it is my story, I will tell you only that you will find this fascinating, a delightful listen, and a heartbreaking, enlightening, and uplifting tale in the end. Or, especially if you are a Republican or otherwise not much into self-reflection, personal growth, or therapeutically inclined, you will hate yourself as well as me if you continue any further than this, and if you are still here, I don't know why, because you are probably already feeling irritated by my style. So go, because it will only get worse for you.

If you are of the introspective, existential, visionary, and dreamer camp; you will probably receive a personal gift for staying and listening; just as I did by "listening in" on Michael Jackson's life.

Another way of saying this is that a life that is openly and unashamedly shared, like Michael Jackson's was, is a gift to all that take it in. My story has that same unashamed quality of saying it exactly as it was to me, and so honestly that it has never been told this thoroughly and honestly before, as I never had been inspired to lay this part of it out this way before. In doing so I feel solid and rich; uncaring of the myriad feelings -- not all good -- that my authentic, unframed, "untagged" experiences will bring forth in others. For that which hasn't already been wrestled and forced beneath some ill-fitting "tag" is just a Rohrschak test for all who view it; and so what you see in me will likely be far more your own image than mine, just as I saw mine in Michael's.

But if you do not recognize that, hell, you may see your demon or angel or just about anything. If you are not very evolved, you may even blame that on me; again that is what happened to Michael Jackson for not staying in the jar and being happy just for getting -- whoop-de-do -- breathing holes!

For in living authentically, as Michael Jackson has demonstrated for us all one time again, like many authentic people in the past, in truly being yourself you will be more loved and more hated than if you take the safe route of hiding.
So listen to this or not; I've already received my blessings and my gifts out of this experience. They are there for you too, but it is all in you and up to you to reach for them, or not; and to decide if now, later, or not in this lifetime. All are correct decisions; there can be no wrong ones ever (only instructive or learning ones). Ain't life great! It's been nice swirling around for a spell in the consciousness soup with you. :-) Later!

Remembering Michael, cont'd

(Cont'd, from col. 2

The first function involves at the start, in the way cultures "welcome" babies into the world is  a cultural kneecapping we also receive at the start to keep us manageable and usable and from not soaring or being free, therefore unusable as an economic resource. It does this, first, in its brutally separating us from our source of life, guidance, and inspiration and creating a blank slate at birth, which would otherwise have been a map of life, with contact numbers directly to God and technical assistance angels -- a kind of Jacob's Ladder for when the going got rough; then, culture tells you to be an individual and aspire to greatness and puts up examples of people who have done so and made a difference for their society and the world; and then culture punishes severely any one who is exceptional and shows it and/or strives to do exactly as the cultural teachings were inspiring him or her to do. 

So the next question was question was, why would culture be structured that way, and why would people hate exactly those kinds of people that would most likely be the ones set up for future generations to learn from? The answer follows from the basic sickness of the societal members, which as mentioned is caused by the double-binding culture. 

So we have sick societies and cultures. Yet within them we strive, still, for authentic lives of richness of experience, truth, love, and connection with our spiritual roots of strength, to be the unique person God intended, as well as awareness of the sacred map of our destiny, buried along with our source, which when found provides a felt inner compass that, if followed, daily brings us closer to God, more openness of feeling, and more desire for spreading love, joy, and for giving of oneself, and eventually brings us down the line directly to liberation. All of this must be done fighting a culture and its sick members who want us to be anything, anything at all (that is like them) but not exceptional. 

Further, the contradictory or mind-fucking quality of the cultural tenets is seen in that it is only through people who defy and buck the soul-murdering immersion in the cultural bosom that culture improves, that people receive help for their sufferings, and that anything good, improving on the average or status quo, can come into the world.

So that's the dilemma of culture, that's the mind-fuck, and that's the buzz saw that Michael Jackson got sucked into in the end.

But it is the fact that like all Great Individuals, he soared despite all those obstacles; let himself be all that God intended him to be, without questioning or holding back, or compromising God's plan for him, in light of cultural disapproval or worse. He's no Jesus, but Jesus' life was his message, and in it you see the same pattern of refusing to compromise on being all that God intended of Him, despite what He knew would be the outcome, his death, as in the Garden of Gethsemane he prayed that his destiny be taken from him "this cup be taken" but resigned himself and steeled himself to not flinch an iota from God's purposes for him, regardless of the consequences.

Michael Jackson is no Jesus, nor is any American. Yet, this article points out that what Michael did in his life, in all aspects of it -- his entertainment style, his soft, gentle, and lovingness, his philanthropy, his humanitarian work on behalf of AIDS and African famine, and much more, he did out of an authenticity, a courageous being all that he was, and using all the talent and skills God gave him. Like all truly authentic, and therefore Great Individuals, his unique self expanded outside himself to include an identification with others, for Michael, and entire world of them, and with their suffering. 

Exactly because his persecutors covered Michael's actual life, it is important, like at his funeral to point out what had been forgotten, so that others like myself who was not aware till after he died, might understand what I mean regarding the humanitarian efforts of this Great Individual. I mention  above his work to ease the African famine. What is not often known is the crucial part he played in that effort. Nor that he was early, and aware, and was willing to speak out on the famine in Africa when others were still silent on it.

He was the first person to bring attention to the huge famine in Africa, using his music and concerts to bring attention to the issue, and working his connections with other celebrities to  inspire them and to get them involved also in helping out in the myriad ways that they would end up doing. It should be kept in mind, that this was before we had Live Aid, Farm Aid, or any of the others, where celebrities were seeing their roles more and more useful in helping to further causes. But it all started from the inspiration of Michael Jackson's example - singly, creating music to educate on these issues and concerts to spread awareness.

Also buried beneath the lies about him, were facts such as that at the time when AIDS was literally exploding across Africa, and there was little governmental apparatus to stem it there or consciousness here about the immensity of it so as to help out, Michael Jackson flew to Washington to a Congressional Black caucus meeting specifically to  gather with 15 African heads of state. Well, Michael was there too, and knowledgeable about the epidemic, he spoke passionately and eloquently, it is said, to these world leaders to raise their consciousness and promote emergency action

Another forgotten undertaking of Michael's involved his personally funding a burn unit for children at the Los Angeles hospital where he had received treatment for those infamous burns he received.

From and through these actions, Michael Jackson would be inspired with a vision of unity, which would be reflected in his song, "Heal the World," which he would later claim as his proudest musical achievement. He penned lyrics inspiring global unity and responsibility; indeed, one of the few things that survived the mud-slinging was his phenomenally successful "We Are the World...We are the children...", which he co-wrote with Lionel Riche. I should also mention his obvious musical attempts to educate on the unity of all humans regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, or nationality, as well as on other spiritual values.

To put this in perspective, it would be hard to dispute the conclusion that Michael Jackson, just this one person, helped educate and change the minds of more people to raise their consciousness out of the muck of darkness and into the more spiritual sight, through the power of his music -- and we shouldn't forget the images, the video that magnified the message beyond mere lyrics -- and through his credibility as being a gentle soul himself than many other people or causes combined. I would say he probably had more effect on bringing people to that light or tolerance, unity, and spiritual insight, than the quite laudable and earnest efforts of untold thousands of preachers or pastors the world round all added toghether. It is important to point this out, as he has been castigated roundly as, well, a "bad" person.

However, the conclusion we should take from his likely greater influence for good than the efforts of untold others  is that whereas many people attempt to effect changes for the good, and for the betterment of society and people's lives, Michael Jackson wasn't more effective because he was lucky or rich or just happened to have a huge following because he sang good. Hardly, Michael was more effective in making positive changes because he took the harder path than these others -- what one author titled "The Path Less Taken."  It is the path of authenticity of self. And it requires everything of oneself, it requires exactly everything that God gave us, plus the courage to express it, be it, live it, stand out because of it and become a target thereby, but also to become an example thereby for others, ready to get that exact message.

No, Michael Jackson was able to leave the world significantly better and more enlightened than others who try, because, unlike them, he also faced down and put behind him the demons of culture, whispering in his ear, "that's nice, Michael, but you don't have to work so hard . You've  done well, now come back and be with us, and we'll take care of you. There's plenty of time in the future to do the things you want to do."

Michael Jackson, unlike the rest of us, and like all great souls, bucked all influences from everyone around him telling him, pleasingly, that it was OK to be less than he could be. He defied that, knowing that his joy  was divine and  it involved being all that he could possibly be and giving all that he could possibly give.

For someone who lived such a rich life, so full of love and compassion, and the joy of his talent and of using it to lift  people up and give them higher vision, among so much that he did by not allowing himself to be talked into being less, it is hard to imagine people being anything but inspired by his life lived large. Only a zombie person would think it tragic that his life was not as long as others, because few people would consider the length of one's life more important than the life that's in one's life.

END