Looking at the man in the mirror

It is amazing how certain things just happen without you expecting them to happen. Just a few months ago I saw a broadcast on the Internet where Michael Jackson announced that he was giving his last performance. The fans were plentiful at the press conference in London. I heard here and there that he had financial problems, and of course he was an odd parent (more than most of us). But no one can deny that out of a talented family of performers/singers no one was more influential than Michael.
I remember when the album OFF THE WALL came out. I played it many times. It was special. I remember his performance in the movie version of THE WIZ- He had the moves, and he had the angelic voice. Quincy Jones the producer of many of his hit songs shaped Michael to be the superstar that he became. The album THRILLER was superb in every way.
Everyone wanted to be like Michael Jackson. He did become the leader of the pop industry. If you look at all stage performance prior to Michael Jackson you can see that Michael himself became the standard.
Yes I have to agree I join the others that did not care for his private affairs. But let us not be forgetting what he was like many other before him; Shirley Temple, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Judy Garland.... They were all iconic figures. Each one had their unique brand. With Michael it was so much more...
Michael was no Martin Luther King Jr. But just like Dr. King he has moved millions of people around the world to unite in the most amazing uniting tool that we have at our disposal- Music and Dance. At times the lyrics Michael wrote and sung about where just about love while other lyrics were about introspect and trying to change the world. There are two songs that stick out in my mind and will always be remembered. Michael helped us move in the right direction to take on responsibility. He wanted us to care about the suffering of others. He wrote:
There comes a time
When we head a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can't go on
Pretending day by day
That someone somewhere will soon make a change
We are all a part of
God's great big family
And the truth, you know love is all we need

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

He also wrote about the ability of one person to change his approach to looking at life and what can be done about what is around us:
I'm gonna make a change, for once in my life it's gonna feel real good,
Gonna make a difference. Gonna make it right . . .
See the kids in the street, with not enough to eat
Who am I, to be blind? Pretending not to see their needs
A Summer's disregard. A Broken bottle top and a one man's soul
They follow each other on the wind Ya' Know' cause they got nowhere to go
That's why I want you to know
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change.

So let's take at a look at ourselves and make the world a better place for you and for me.