Michael learned at an early age that his personal needs were secondary to those of the family and the show. Being tired, hungry, sad, lonely was not as important as performing and meeting obligations. When he was old enough to make his own decisions, he continued to follow this habit. This was part of the reason that he was able to express so much of his potential as an entertainer. He did not let his own personal comfort interfere with his practice schedule or creative endeavors. As much as this became part of who Michael was, it cost him dearly.
When the bridge collapsed during a show, injuring Michael in the fall, he continued to sing and finish the concert. When asked how and why he did it, he answered that he heard his father’s voice telling him that the show must go on, don’t disappoint the fans.
His motivation was not money, other than as a means to fulfill his REAL work, which was to help children in need. The This Is It concerts were no different. His desire to help the children of the world by building a hospital which would heal the underlying need of making them feel loved and valued for who they are, kept him going even when his body was exhausted and his mind wouldn’t stop long enough to let him sleep.
Many people who “handled” Michael, as well as Michael himself, saw his body as a machine. They did whatever was necessary to keep the machine going, without care for the person inside that machine. Michael did it selflessly, the others did it selfishly.
As a result, we have lost the physical Michael, the wonderful talented loving man that was with us for most of our lives. What can we do now to ease the pain of the loss, other than to do whatever we can to bring about the dreams and wishes he expressed. Let’s not let him down.
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