Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon were just human afterall.

Monkey wonders in general what death really is. Is it really an end in which all ceases for the individual that is taken by it? Or is it a transformation into something other than what was for that being? Or maybe it is a beginning into something completely different. Whatever death is, Monkey does know that we will all succumb to its advances in one way or another, at one time or another.

So why such sadness attached to it, especially when it is for those who we never knew person to person in life? Why did tears stream down Monkey’s face when he read about Ed McMahon, then Farrah Fawcett and then Michael Jackson? For Monkey, he believes that it is because those people will never ever have to chance to breathe the sweet beautiful air of earth again. Never be able to once again make us laugh, or capture us with their beauty or thrill us with their incredible talents. We are lucky for we have them, these three, forever. On records, mp3’s, film, video and in our memories. But for them, they can never “be” as they once were. They will never create their art again. Never feel the adoration of their fans. Never be able to make wrongs into rights.

Michael Jackson was accused of horrific things, things that are inexcusable no matter what brought it on. But isn’t it a bit harder for all of us to completely despise him for the things he may have done? I despise the part of him that could hurt innocent children, but I love the part of him who danced and sang his way into my life. We saw him and loved him since he was a boy, and we saw the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father. And we witnessed his unravelling. For it all to end in death is almost to much to bear. Though Monkey knows that death is where we all end up, I just wish, oh wish, that Michael could have turned his life into something less tragic. Into something, maybe, happy.

Yes, it is the finality of it all.  Ed died with financial woes taking on odd jobs to hold on to everything he had.  Farrah lost a long time battle with cancer that we were all hoping she would triumph over. And Michael died after spiraling down into someone quite unrecognizable (and I don’t mean just physically).  I guess, in writing this, that Monkey realizes he feels sad not just because they can no longer enjoy the pleasures of earth, but because they were just human. 

Yes, Monkey realizes that there is nothing more indelibly and definably human as death.  And by human, I mean fragile.

Monkey wishes everyone would take a moment to inform yourselves and donate to :

American Cancer Society in honor of Farrah Fawcett,

Heal the World Foundation in honor of Michael Jackson,

MDA (Jerry’s kids) in honor of Ed McMahon.