MICHAEL JACKSON.

On August 3, 2009 Danielle was scheduled to see MJ live in concert in London. Tickets already purchased. Number one on her bucket list. It was a huge factor in our travel plans. And (obviously) it never happened.

A little background…………

Danielle has loved (truly loved) MJ since her first clear memory. His was the first CD she ever bought. She has all his videos and moves memorized. Ironically, she had the tickets for August 3 in London to finally see him live. And then he went and died, and Danielle purchased the 32-DVD collector’s edition from her office cube the moment she found out (after hundreds of concerned phone calls, the equivalent of a family member dying) …. and then she cried.

When we found each other in Germany, his name was mentioned (gently) and I admitted I had never seen an MJ video. After Danielle hyperventilated and regained herself, she immediately brought out her computer and the two of us watched several MJ videos. After that, an addiction was born. Every train ride, every spare second … MJ filled our hours. I slowly began to understand the significance of his death. The magnitude of the loss the world had endured.

Everywhere we went people united over MJ. Every country, the same reaction. I was buying fruit at a market in Paris, and the guy ringing me up asked ‘American?’ I said ‘Yes. Oui.’ And he said ‘Michael Jackson, no?’ and (kid you not) busted out a few MJ moves right there in the market in front of me. I smiled, and nodded, and pretended to wipe a tear from my eye. Every time we walked anywhere, MJ was blasting from speakers in the cars driving by; every nightclub we frequented, MJ was bringing the dance floor to life. I realized quickly that he is more than an American legend. He is a global phenomenon that draws people together.

As a result, he became the theme of our entire trip, and led us to some interesting places. In Amsterdam, stumbling home at 2AM, we heard MJ coming from a random bar next to our hotel. I believe my last words were ‘Just one song, we have to.’ Three hours later, I was on the back of a bicycle (I couldn’t walk at this point) being cycled home from the dance club we ended up at with the locals we met inside the bar. We credit MJ.

Now (August 3rd) Danielle and I are sitting in the lobby of the hotel we are at (not in London, sad) drinking very expensive wine purchased in Montepulciano, and watching every MJ video ever produced. The hotel receptionist thinks we are on crack. Danielle is wearing her one sparkled glove. I actually stood up and attempted some MJ moves at one point. We had to honor him, and the concert that never happened. A bucket list that will never be complete. Ohhhhh MJ. This one’s for you.