In Memory of Michael Jackson

I wanted to write something in memory of the Michael Jackson a.k.a. the King of Pop. There have been tributes and there will continue to be tributes to honor the King of Pop, but I think that the best homage comes from….Nature.*

*italicized Nature: must be whispered slowly in order to get its complete effect

Nature: Yes, Nature. I don’t mean the tree-hugging, hair-growing, and no-bathing rituals to “save some water” kind-of-Nature (if that’s your thing, by all means). I’m talking about Nature in art: Things that have been created without the initial purpose or thought of creating art. To simplify things, it’s just art that naturally happens.

Art and Nature: Nature has created a lot of art, specifically religious art. In fact, you have a good chance of finding an image of Jesus in your lunch or the Virgin Mary on a building somewhere.

For Example:

Virgin Mary on a 10-yr. old grilled cheese sandwich

(the sandwich sold on eBay for $28,000)

Jesus on a frying pan

(sold on eBay to an online gambling company)

Virgin Mary water stain

underneath the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago

Jesus as a Cheeto

(a.k.a. "Cheesus")

Virgin Mary in fire-damaged home in Mexico

Jesus on a tree

in front of a health club in Illinois



Lady of Guadalupe on a tree

in Rogers Park in Chicago

How Does This Relate to Michael Jackson?: I saw on the news two days ago that you can now find an image of Michael Jackson’s face on a tree stump in Stockton, CA. A tree stump?! Yes way!!! Nobody, other that Mary or Jesus, can get their face on a tree stump. Personally, I think that’s the greatest honor.

Modified:

OK, it’s kinda hard to make out his face on the stump -it looks more like Mickey Mouse being flushed down the toilet to me. I guess it was difficult for the Nature Gods to make a perfect impression with all of the face transformations the King of Pop has gone through in his life. Nevertheless, Michael Jackson made a lasting impression on many of us and his music will be listened to for many generations to come.