United Way for Southeastern Michigan

There are these home videos floating around my parents’ house of my sister and I dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” in the basement of our old house when I was about 2. Even at a young age I was pretty captivated by Michael’s music. My Moonwalk skills developed later in life though, as in about 5 months ago. Nick and I would practice our Moonwalk while waiting for a meeting to start, dancing around the conference table while nobody was looking. This was before Michael’s death though; allow me to make that distinction. Because apparently any interest in Michael Jackson post-death is considered “predictable” (insert winky face).

But I was amazed the day after the new spread about Michael’s death how many people were paying tribute to his music in the streets. I’ve never seen anything like it. I saw more than one person with a saxophone running down a playlist of songs off Thriller with an open instrument case for donations. Restaurants were playing “Billie Jean”, and I heard "Rock With You" blasting into the streets from Hard Rock Cafe.

But what’s even more compelling is the level of remorse for this celebrity; someone whose fame was sustained by some very disturbing controversy, rather than any recent display of his talent. I love what Water1st.org had to say about it on Twitter (Follow @water1st)

“Sad day yesterday. Michael Jackson & Farrah Fawcett passed. And 10,000 children died from preventable waterborne diseases.”

As I spend time mentoring kids in the inner city outside of work, I notice that they’re quick to rattle off Chris Brown’s next court date, but have little clue about issues that matter. It makes me wonder if America is indifferent, or just distracted. Do we really not care that there are people out there that are desperate for a miracle…forced to choose between a bug-infested shelter bed and the hard cement, or are we just buried beneath all the noise? If the homeless got as much attention on Twitter during the week of Michael Jackson’s death as he did, I wonder how many people’s prayers from the park bench would have been answered.

Homeless people die every day for various reasons, but the most disturbing is when they die because the system failed to properly support them. While we’re busy drooling over celebrity gossip, real life is happening, and real life is being lost.

So my challenge is this: Make a habit of shutting out the noise. Spend time with real people, in real life. Make it your default activity to meet the needs of others, rather than sitting in front of the TV cheering on your favorite American Idol contestant. Better yet, find out who in your neighborhood has a killer voice, and encourage them! Michael Jackson was great, but the need is greater.

Let’s put real issues in the Facebook News Feed. And if you need a little inspiration, check out LiveUnitedSEM.org.