there will be more blogs coming soon- blogs which have been a long time coming, but with respect to the 'year in review' pieces i suppose this would be safe to say that this would be the first blog for 2010...
i suppose it's fairly obvious to anyone who knows me, or has listened to 'guess who's coming to radio??!!' realizes the impact the news of michael j. jackson's transcendence had on me... i remember this day very well- it was thursday, 25 june; and i was set to do a show in honor of gilberto gil. when initially informed of the devastating news of michael's 'cardiac arrest', obviously i didn't believe it, as there have consistently been rumors of illnesses throughout the years. i immediately looked for information on the internet... strangely i didn't see much, but i saw enough- and rivers flowed down my face on this day, and the next 16 days thereafter, taking a short pause, then crying for more weeks on end to the point where my face burned.
on this day, 25 june, after hearing of the news i dutifully gathered all the records i could carry of michael's, then rode to KBOO. apparently there were questions as to if i was going to show up at all. i didn't know what else to do BUT to show up. i had to honor the man i consider my teacher. i had to honor the man whose lessons i presented to the world through the show i did weekly. i had to do this, for love.
i was at a loss... i was not sure if i wanted to be alone, or with people. however, the people i was surrounded by were quite comforting. on the air, it was the only time that day i DIDN'T cry. i recall walking into the studio; the first song of his i heard was 'speechless', from his 'invincible' album. my teacher spoke to me immediately, and i just began crying. i had, and i STILL do not have words for the emotions i had on this day.
on this evening, 25 june 2009, we honored my teacher and played his lessons for the world to hear for three hours. there were so many calls of encouragement, of tears, and of memories... i thank everyone for sharing this moment with me. in the end, i don't think i could have made it alone.
i thank my teacher, michael, for all he's given me, especially the lessons in patience, and in empathy. he is a man whose lessons have been severely mis-undertood, and underrated.
teacher, i love you.
your humble student,
jamilah