... I'm one of the, I'm sure, many returning fans. Yes, hello! :hello: Where do I start? From the beginning, I guess. This might turn out to be a long story.
Back in the 1980s I was a huge Michael Jackson fan. :heart: As huge as a teenager can be in a small town and in a country which wasn't quite on the forefront of the developments of the music world. No internet either back then. I loved Thriller and I pretty much wore out my Thriller VHS too. I was so proud to get my hands on it! I loved Michael's earlier work too. To cut a long story short, for a few years there was none greater than Michael for me. Then Michael just dropped off the radar. Well, not completely but I really wasn't following news about him etc. that much. Fast forward to 1993. I saw these huge headlines screaming you-know-what. Again, I admit I didn't follow closely but neither did I believe that Michael would have done what he was accused of doing. In 1997 Michael visited my country. So did my all-time favourites U2, who I saw four times that summer. Later I thought maybe I should have given up one of their shows and gone to see Michael too. At the time of the second allegations I followed the media coverage more closely. I admit I was a teeny weeny bit worried that I might actually have been wrong about Michael. Shudder the thought now. I still cared about Michael and did not want him to be guilty. Some of the coverage was weird and I became again more certain Michael was innocent. I was so happy when he was found not guilty! Any shadow of a doubt that might have still lingered evaporated. I was pretty naive in thinking that everyone would now accept Michael was innocent. Obviously, I have since discovered this thought couldn't have been further from the truth! Around this time I bought CD versions of Thriller and Off the Wall, which are my favourites. Then, once again, I hardly heard or saw anything worth mentioning about Michael in the media. Oh, I did hear about his upcoming shows Fast forward to a month ago...
I was getting ready for bed and husband told me he'd just read Michael Jackson had been taken to a hospital. Huh? I stayed up to see further developments. Some time later husband said Michael had died. I wasn't expecting that! Not in a million years. I didn't cry but I felt weird. How did this happen? I started to read news, I saw the incrediblle outpouring of love and grief and was deeply touched. I watched countless videos on YouTube and really started to appreciate Michael as a performer. I don't think I'd seen much live footage earlier. I must say I fell in love all over again. Michael was (is!) an amazing performer. I also found new fave songs from his post-Bad albums, which I either hadn't liked before or had not even heard. As overwhelmed by this newfound love I was, I still hadn't cried. I wondered if and when the tears might come. A couple of days after Michael's passing they came, while I was watching a live version of You are Not Alone. The spoken part of Will You Be There wrecked me too. I found this forum among other MJ sites and have been reading ever since the forums which are open to all to read. I've found this place both informative and helpful. It was so tough watching the memorial! I ended up crying a whole lot more than I thought. The spoken part of Will You Be There opend the floodgates and Paris...
My husband has been great with me but I don't know anyone else who likes Michael, so I was starting to get frustrated for not having anyone to really talk to about my feelings. That's when I decided to join here. I'm so glad I've rediscovered Michael! Hi Michael, I'm back and I love you! :heart: I wish I never went away, I've missed a lot of great things. I just so wish you'd still be around and this tragedy hadn't happened. It would be so great if I could have come back having been blown away by a random live clip from This Is It instead of this...
Back in the 1980s I was a huge Michael Jackson fan. :heart: As huge as a teenager can be in a small town and in a country which wasn't quite on the forefront of the developments of the music world. No internet either back then. I loved Thriller and I pretty much wore out my Thriller VHS too. I was so proud to get my hands on it! I loved Michael's earlier work too. To cut a long story short, for a few years there was none greater than Michael for me. Then Michael just dropped off the radar. Well, not completely but I really wasn't following news about him etc. that much. Fast forward to 1993. I saw these huge headlines screaming you-know-what. Again, I admit I didn't follow closely but neither did I believe that Michael would have done what he was accused of doing. In 1997 Michael visited my country. So did my all-time favourites U2, who I saw four times that summer. Later I thought maybe I should have given up one of their shows and gone to see Michael too. At the time of the second allegations I followed the media coverage more closely. I admit I was a teeny weeny bit worried that I might actually have been wrong about Michael. Shudder the thought now. I still cared about Michael and did not want him to be guilty. Some of the coverage was weird and I became again more certain Michael was innocent. I was so happy when he was found not guilty! Any shadow of a doubt that might have still lingered evaporated. I was pretty naive in thinking that everyone would now accept Michael was innocent. Obviously, I have since discovered this thought couldn't have been further from the truth! Around this time I bought CD versions of Thriller and Off the Wall, which are my favourites. Then, once again, I hardly heard or saw anything worth mentioning about Michael in the media. Oh, I did hear about his upcoming shows Fast forward to a month ago...
I was getting ready for bed and husband told me he'd just read Michael Jackson had been taken to a hospital. Huh? I stayed up to see further developments. Some time later husband said Michael had died. I wasn't expecting that! Not in a million years. I didn't cry but I felt weird. How did this happen? I started to read news, I saw the incrediblle outpouring of love and grief and was deeply touched. I watched countless videos on YouTube and really started to appreciate Michael as a performer. I don't think I'd seen much live footage earlier. I must say I fell in love all over again. Michael was (is!) an amazing performer. I also found new fave songs from his post-Bad albums, which I either hadn't liked before or had not even heard. As overwhelmed by this newfound love I was, I still hadn't cried. I wondered if and when the tears might come. A couple of days after Michael's passing they came, while I was watching a live version of You are Not Alone. The spoken part of Will You Be There wrecked me too. I found this forum among other MJ sites and have been reading ever since the forums which are open to all to read. I've found this place both informative and helpful. It was so tough watching the memorial! I ended up crying a whole lot more than I thought. The spoken part of Will You Be There opend the floodgates and Paris...
My husband has been great with me but I don't know anyone else who likes Michael, so I was starting to get frustrated for not having anyone to really talk to about my feelings. That's when I decided to join here. I'm so glad I've rediscovered Michael! Hi Michael, I'm back and I love you! :heart: I wish I never went away, I've missed a lot of great things. I just so wish you'd still be around and this tragedy hadn't happened. It would be so great if I could have come back having been blown away by a random live clip from This Is It instead of this...
