As the world collectively reflects on the one-year anniversary of Michael Jackson’s untimely passing, I wanted to share some of my own thoughts. While I’ll never have a true picture of who he was as a person, I can sincerely say that Michael Jackson played a profound role in my development as a man. Of all that I gleaned from his life and music, three profound lessons of love continue to stick with me to this day.
Lesson of Love No. 1: You Should Always Think Before You Speak
Song: “All I Do Is Think Of You”
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Lyrics:
Please don’t close the door to our future
There’s so many things we haven’t tried
I could love you better than I used to
And give you all the love I have inside
Fly Perspective: I had a problem with pride … so if I walked away from a relationship, there was no turning back — no matter how bad I may have wanted to stay.
I can’t tell you how many times I let pride prevent me from giving a relationship another try. “I Wanna Be Where You Are” gave me a new perspective, though. It made it OK to look my woman in the eyes and say, “I don’t care about any of the mess from our past … I just wanna be where you are.”
That shift in thinking made me a better man.
Lesson of Love No. 3: Love With Everything That You’ve Got
Song: Got To Be There
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Lyrics:
Got to be there
In the morning
When she says hello to the world
Got to be there
Bring her good times
And show her that she’s my girl
Oh what a feeling there’ll be
The moment I know she loves me, ’cause when I look in her eyes
I realize, I need her sharing her world beside me
Fly Perspective: Life is short — the loss of MJ certainly reinforces that notion. Having said that, there’s really no reason to save or ration the love that you have for your significant other. When you find a person that makes your heart sing, then love them with everything that you’ve got.
I mean that.
From the time the sun rises until it sets, don’t take any moment for granted with a loved one. I used to say, “oh she knows how I feel.” And she may have. But there was so much that I could have done — I’m sure in all of my relationships — to express my love more vividly. I know that now.
Fly Reflections:
Dear Michael,
I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and pick the brains of some of the world’s biggest celebrities. And while I was always holding out hope that I would one day interview the biggest celebrity of them all, I realize that day will never come.
But even without that chance, I still want to sincerely thank you for the contributions both to the world and to my ability to be the flyest of guys. Rest in Peace.
The Fly Guy
**DeWayne Rogers is the author of The Fly Guy Chronicles, your in-depth guide to love, relationships and everything hazy in between.
