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Posted on Tue, Nov. 03, 2009 10:15 PM
We get only one shot: This is it
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The King of Pop is dead. We get it.
Since his tragic passing on June 25, fans worldwide have gone to extreme measures to pay homage to Michael Jackson — buying up T-shirts, costumes and albums and playing YouTube videos on repeat. I can’t exclude myself from the frenzy. But this is it. For real.
“This Is It,” the two-hour movie that crunches 150 hours of Jackson rehearsing for the sold-out London concerts that never happened, has hit theaters for a two-week run. While many fans left the movie alternately mourning and celebrating the moon-walker himself, I found a different kind of inspiration.
It’s easy to get comfortable in life. To go through the motions and comfortably coast isn’t hard when things are stable. For someone in Jackson’s glittery socks and shiny shoes, it would be way past easy to sit back and get lazy. He could have waved one of his gloves in the air and had a crowd going wild. At 50, with decades of accolades and albums under his belt, no one would have blamed him.
But MJ was planning a stupefying demonstration of artistry of the kind that most pop stars can only dream. He wanted to give his fans a show he felt they deserved, something innovative and meaningful. His voice was still magical, yet he was still using a vocal coach. He could have simply let the band do its thing, but he had a hand in every note, in every intro, in every moment. Sure his smooth dance moves seem to come effortlessly, but he and his dancers practiced daily. This man loved his job.
Practice, hard work and heart are what he had. And that’s what most got to me. I went home motivated to push myself to do more.
We’re all given gifts and not all of them are artsy. Maybe you’re a nurse, a good teacher or a great debater. Whatever your business or craft, it’s yours. And we should all strive to hone these skills.
Some of us haven’t found the opportunity that allows us to use them, but we should dig for one and make a way. Any day could be your last, and we should be living as if we mean it. We have to be sure we’re putting in effort that allows us to enjoy our time. This is it.
As Michael Jackson would say:
Keep on with the force, don’t stop. Don’t stop ’til you get enough.
Jeneé Osterheldt’s column runs in FYI on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. To reach her, call 816-234-4380 or send e-mail to josterheldt@kcstar.com.
Posted on Tue, Nov. 03, 2009 10:15 PM
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