An year ago, on this day, June 25th 2009, an SMS that conveyed MJ's death is one of the most unfortunate things happened to all MJ's fans...including me. To me Michael Jackson is synonym to the western music in my growing years and to me that moment, all the controversies surrounding his life that is ever in spotlight vanished. It was a moment of respect to the talent and the music he gave to this world. Nothing else mattered. His legal battles, his insecurities, his loneliness, his sleeplessness and his overall personality vanished. What remained is a flow of unconditional love in his lyrics and rhythm, a flow of unparalleled level of music and pop, and totally a flow of wave of loss, a feeling of someone who was close to you gone for ever. I am sure most of the MJ fans would feel it this way. Eternal.
After coming to California, Los Angeles, to me visiting his final resting place was on my list of things to do. Now living just 2 miles away from Glendale Forest Lawn and getting a chance to drive through the Glendale avenue quite often, I look at the Cross on the top of the hill that has the FLG with due respect, for it is not just a final home to celebrities of Hollywood including Walt Disney, but now the final home for MJ, and that makes the difference.
One Saturday afternoon, just drove through the FLG iron gates. It was an amazing experience, a silence, a kind of reality sinking in, that it is the final destination for mankind. For lot many years, I liked looking at cemeteries and the kind of respect and command they have over people's life's. That day, I could feel it. As we walked inside the Great Mausoleum, to view the last supper window, it was creepy feeling. For a moment, surrounded by crypts of the famous and celebrities of the most cherished world, and the beauty of the Forest lawn, drove a sense of divinity.
The statues and glass paintings sent in a wave of life in death. To me it looked like more of a place to celebrate the great lives than mourn for their ending. The best way to cherish any one's memory is to relive their lives in our memories and celebrating it. To me, visiting forest lawns Glendale was like a transforming experience, awakening the soul's ardent search towards an eternal end. The struggle for survival in between the two poles of life seemed be meaningless..., including for that of Michael as he lays untouched in Holly Terrace.
I know he is there. Living in an eternal bliss. Without his fans and family overwhelming him like they did when he was alive. He is finally having his silent sleep, that no amount of medication, doctors, family , children, fans, friends could not bring in to him when he was alive. Rest in Peace Michael, you need to now.
Glendale Forest Lawn have its own way of providing peace to his mourners... a chance to celebrate their King of Pop finally in peace. The serenity, the nature, the mountains, the fountains, the Italian art, the big corridors, the dimmed lights of the arc windows and tall roofs bring in a kind of celebration to the lives that lived larger than life could contain.
The best respect that can be paid would be not to tress pass into the areas restricted by the Forest Lawn administrators and leave them all in silence and privacy that they for sure deserve in death. To many, the fitting tribute would be to pay a visit and leave behind the burden or heaviness of having lost someone who was dear to you all the time, for he entertained you and made you sway in his music. But Michael, would have loved his fans pay him a visit, bring him the flowers he loved, and spread the message of his love. May be one day, his children will open the doors to his final resting place for the public to pay their respects. Till then, leave him in peace:-)
Love you MJ, Miss your Music.....
For more interesting photographs and writeups on MJ and his final resting place, visit :http://lisaburks.typepad.com/gravehunting/michael-jackson/. She did a great job by putting it all together....MJ's Fan club of Southern California.
For more interesting photographs and writeups on MJ and his final resting place, visit :http://lisaburks.typepad.com/gravehunting/michael-jackson/. She did a great job by putting it all together....MJ's Fan club of Southern California.
