While I will agree that the sudden death of Michael Jackson may be cause for some media coverage, reminiscing and nostalgia, I for one will be glad when the memorial in LA is over today. Remember the Santana mega-hit a few years ago - "Smooth"?? It was SO popular, played SO much, that it began to elicit groans when the first few notes played - yet again - on the radio.

I'm feeling the same way about Thriller, Ben and a few other MJ songs. Believe me, I've done my share of singing along to Billie Jean through the years too, but enough already. (And yes, the irony of my writing about Jackson while decrying the media overload about him is not lost on me!)

Michael Jackson was a teenager when Elvis Presley died - another musical icon whose life and death have some eerie parallels to Jackson's. (Before Elvis fans stone me, I said SOME parallels - just SOME). I've heard it said that there is a very thin line between genius and insanity. When someone comes along who is SO talented and SO gifted that they smash the boundaries of a particular style, medium or genre it almost seems as if they can never really be comfortable in this world.

I read something in a magazine this week that stuck with me. The writer suggested that the Michael Jackson we are missing - the musical genius who gave us such amazing melodies, lyrics and dance steps - has actually been gone for the past 15 years. His accomplishments were overshadowed by the off-stage weirdness and the ugly allegations that have been at the center of news about him since the mid-90's.

And that to me is the real tragedy - that this amazing entertainer was so lonely, so unhappy behind the mask that he tried to recreate a childhood he never had. And in doing so missed learning to love himself as he was, as God created him.