When I was a little kid, there are times when I would wish I was dead, so that I can see my family and friends cry over my body murmuring words of their appreciation for my genius (ahemm, I was a kid, a kid could dream!) and remember the good deeds I have done, then I would tauntingly exclaim “I told you I was important!”. Then realization would burst that weirdly happy bubble: I could not mock at them, or even see them, coz my eyes would be rotting in my coffin together with my body.

Honestly, I used to think that I was the only the unappreciated person, until I saw my Uyang lying in her coffin, with people all over the house talking about how good she was to them. I wonder, did Uyang knew that she was this important to these many people?

Now, with the death of Michael Jackson, the same question popped in my head: Did Michael Jackson knew he was this important to these many people?

Funny how some people only show how much they really appreciate you when you die. When Michael Jackson was alive, I had only known him by his name and his songs, and the issues thrown against him. I grew up to his songs, but I also heard of rumors of his pedophile acts and that “baby-out-the-window” stunt of his. I loved his songs, no doubt about that, but I hated his “personality”.

I thought I knew everything about him by then, and that everybody thinks like me. So his death should have been just like that of a villain’s death. I was surprised by how the mass reacted. News networks all over the world featured everything about him reported almost every detail of his death, and millions of fans (I knew he had lots and lots of fans, but I never knew he had this much!) thirstily asking for more about him. I thought that was just about it. But as if to really taunt me, I read in an article that Michael Jackson’s death also sent shockwaves in the virtual world. Hundreds, no, thousands of articles are written about him in just a few days. His songs and albums, old or new, topped the charts in a snap. Some search engines almost bogged down. And then everyone's talking about how good he was back when he was alive, and passed his not-so-good issues as just the eccentric sides of an artist.

I never knew he was this much appreciated. Maybe he doesn’t know too. I heard he was hooked to painkillers for some time as his way of coping up with the negative issues that was throwing him down, with one really killing his pain for good this time. One good thing about his death is that now he doesn’t have to suffer much criticisms on what he is doing, since he can’t do anything wrong anymore, with that stiff body of his safe in his coffin. Many are wishing that he is still alive, that he could have continued trying to “Heal the World” and assuring that “You are Not Alone”. But his death could have been the way to make his critics realize that he might be "THE MICHAEL JACKSON", but he’s still human, and humans could err, as humans could die. I sure do know that now.

I hope that his death teaches everyone a lesson, just as my Uyang’s death had taught me. We can't wait until they are dead, before we show our appreciation to our loved ones, family, and friends. We never know when someone needs to know they are appreciated. I'm sure MJ would have wanted us all to know that.