Keep Going...

Well....



What a week its been, huh? In the matter of five days, we lost 9 people in the 1st metro crash in a while in my near-hometown, Washington D.C. The second day, we lost the sidekick to the funny man Carson, Mr. Star Search himself, Ed McMahon. Then Thursday, the 25th of June, Farrah Fawcett lost her long and hard battle with anal cancer at the age of 62. And just a few hours later, not even five hours afterwards, the freaking King of Pop himself passed away. As someone aptly put, "the Seventies officially died this week."



As much shock as Michael Jackson's death was, his and the passing of the others I mentioned are actually no different than the countless other deaths, all over the world, in the same week that we didn't hear about. We always seem to forget in a world where a person with "influence" is immortalized in images and sounds, that we are all very much mortal and will soon pass. One day.



Death has always been something that has scared me though. It scares a lot of people, of course. But I don't mean death as in my death necessarily; but the death of others around me. Because the only reason why we mourn the passing of human beings is because we will no longer be able to witness the impact they make on this Earth. The impact they make in our lives. Its stuff like that I hate to think about, but can't help but think about when people around you pass away as easy as that. Not my own mortality, but the mortality of others.



We do, of course, have our memories to keep us company. With the Pop King, his incredible music, videos, and talent that have inspired millions across generations, including my own cousin who used to dance to "Billie Jean" at every party event I can remember growing up. They're not the same, and they can't replace the emptiness we feel when that person leaves, but that's part of the reason for our memories. It keeps us going. It kept my Mom going after she lost her own mother to kidney disease at the age of 42. I hope its keeping my friend going, who just lost his father to a heart attack a few weeks ago. I pray it'll keep me going when the time comes. And I also pray the time doesn't come for a very long while.