CLEVELAND - Hard as it is to believe, we are on the cusp of yet another decade which means an evaluation of the outgoing one. So since there are just 10 days left in Year 10 of the 2000's, I will issue the top 10 moments of the decade as they were to me.
Just my opinion, folks.
- June 25, 2009/The Death Of Michael Jackson: This event took place nine and a half years into the decade, but was nevertheless the biggest moment for me by far. I never knew that I was capable of crying so many billions of tears, but I did. Michael was more than a megastar, icon or figure on television to me. He was my father, brother, cousin, inspiration and mentor. The unbelievable and impossible horror and shock of that day still screws with my mind, but his indelible style, philosophy and unique genius will always pervade my own sensibilities and personality.
2. November 4, 2008/The Election of Barack Obama: I never thought it would happen in this century,
but it did; a Black man having a legitimate shot at the presidency and then actually winning it. I first
became aware of Barack Obama in 2006 when I curiously stared at him and his name of the cover of a
magazine. But it wasn't until 2008 that his formidable intelligence and steely ambition became evident
to me and he began his historic assault on U.S. history. I followed Obama's masterfully executed
campaign religiously, but I was totally unprepared for the tears I shed the night he earned the White
House. Even though I never experienced the Civil Rights Era or slavery, it was as if I had the same
sort of historical perspective as any 70 or 80 year old African-American. His acceptance speech was
as transcendent as it was inspirational.
3. September 11, 2001/Terrorists Attack America: It didn't matter to me much when it actually
happened, but as the tragedy continued to unfold that morning, I became more and more nervous about
what else might be on the horizon. In spite of my preoccupation with going to buy Jay-Z's released-that-
day album The Blueprint, I fully understood that a major and horribly awful thing had been inflicted
upon our country. It was a day wrought with intense paranoia and epic sorrow for the thousands of
innocent people that died simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. One that I
will always look back on with more and more sadness every time.
4. July 10, 2003/The Birth of My Second Daughter: The world didn't know about it, but it was a
major moment for me personally. My oldest daughter was 4 and a half years old at the time, but even
though I'd experienced childbirth first-hand before, this was still a huge event. I attended every
doctor's appointment with her mom for about eight months and that was enough to build major
anticipation for her summer arrival. When my child, Desiree Young entered the world at 6:24AM that
morning, I promptly introduced my self to her by grabbing her tiny, clammy palm and saying to the
2-minute old squirmer, "it's nice to meet you." And it truly was.
5. October 30, 2001/Both MJ's Return To Their Stage: I called it "National Michael Day." It was the
best of times for me that autumn day. My two all-time favorite legends returned to the public after years
away. Michael Jordan, who retired in January 1999 after a stunning pro basketball career returned to
the court for his first game with the lowly Washington Wizards. Though he was very much past his
prime at nearly 39 years old, it was awesome to see the man back in his element. Michael Jackson
hadn't made a brand new album in 10 years and his double CD from 1995 was half greatest hits. On
this day, the greatest entertainer in history released what would come to be his final record, Invincible.
Though many critics panned it, Jackson's brilliance was on full display on this album and even though it
was an uneven performance, it was still a certified legend doing his thing. That made me happy.
6. June 13, 2005/Michael Jackson Acquitted: I was so much on pins and needles when Santa Maria
jurors began deliberating to determine whether Michael Jackson was going to prison for accusations of
molesting a 13-year old boy. On this day, once the verdicts of "not guilty" of all ten counts came down,
I cried uncontrollable tears of joy. I never believed Michael was guilty, but I know how vicious the
media could be, especially with him since he'd been the tabloid's favorite target for nearly 20 years. This
I felt would negatively influence the judge and jury and send him away for many years. Thankfully, he
was exonerated but was never redeemed in the court of public opinion. But for me, Michael was
exactly where he belonged; out of harm's way.
7. June 23, 2007/The Woman I Loved Said She Never Loved Me: I had been through many trying
times with my fiancee and vice-versa. In spite of that, we always managed to emerge from each
challenge stronger than ever. On this day however, it seemed as if we had reached the point of no
return. After a disheartening and stunning metamorphosis by my girl, she capped off several months of
shocking disrespect and callous behavior towards me by telling me on this day that she she "never loved"
me as anything more than a friend. This was unfathomable given the fact that we'd been together for
nearly six years of highs and lows. The next day, after having much time to think and reconsider, she still
held firm to what she'd said. That was incredibly earth shattering for me and when she told me months
later that she didn't mean it, it felt contrived. The damaged had already been done.
8. October 31, 2002/My Fiancee Leaves Me: I've had bad experiences with women and awesome
ones with women. But on this Halloween Day, the woman whom I was madly in love with and had
become engaged to just 8 and a half months earlier ditched me for reasons that made no logical sense.
Making matters worse, she shockingly cheated on me three weeks before -- all behavior that was
impossible to foreshadow given her seemingly angelic perfection and bucolic upbringing. In any event,
it reduced me to a bumbling, depressed mountain of tears. The love of my life had left me. But she came
back.
9. April 16, 2003/Jordan Flies Away Forever: Michael Jordan has been one of my biggest heroes for
many years, so each time he retired, a bucket of my tears followed him off the court. When he played
the Wizards' final game of the 2002-03 season in Philadelphia, his groundbreaking pro career flashed
before my eyes on top of the tears. Hit with the realization that MJ would never again grace pro
basketball with his iconic presence, I was inconsolable for awhile after he waved goodbye to the game
that made him world famous and insanely wealthy.
10. March 24, 2009/My Childhood Home Is Tore Down: This was unforeseen and very sad. The
extensively dilapitaded house that I was conceived in and lived in until I was 18 years of age was
demolished due to its very poor condition. It was truly the end of an era for me since that is the location
in which that I learned to talk, walk, create and entertain. I fell in love with Michael Jackson in that house
and watched the "Thriller" video for the first time ever in that house. I watched him dominate the 1984
Grammy Awards in that house. Even though I moved out in the summer of 1995, my grandfather
continued to live there for another 12 years. During that time, I frequently visited the house either to see
him or to just sit on the steps as though I was still a resident. Even during the final year and a half of its
existence when it was abandoned, I still sat on its porch in spite of the boarded up windows and
overgrown grass. That house and I still had a connection.
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