The Week of June 22nd - June 26, 2009

This has been a crazy week. It feels like I'm actually leaving Bowie for good. Even though I've been home since January 2009, I've been commuting back and forth from Silver Spring to Bowie 5-6 days a week because Savannah was still attending Pointer Ridge Elementary School there and Camille's daycare - Ms. Wanda Furr is there too. Well Savannah completed first grade. Today is their last day at daycare. Next week they start Summer Camp in Silver Spring so I won't be driving to Bowie during the week at all. It's made me feel sentimental - like I was leaving Bowie again. I'm very connected to Bowie, Maryland. I also went for my first Mammogram. Like I said, this has been a crazy week.
First the Metro train had its biggest crash ever here in DC on the Red Line. Nine innocent people died. The Red Line is "our line" for Montgomery County. I was devastated. There were several single parent mothers who passed away suddenly leaving their children without a mother. There were other people who loved their lives that died instantly.
Then on Thursday Farrah Faccett died. She was someone I idolized as a child. From Charlie's Angels - to Burning Bed - to Extremities and all her movies, commercials. She and Ryan were the original Brad and Angelina. I remember when she did her Barbara Walter Specials where she talked about her love of Ryan, being a mother to Redmond, her work, her beauty, her faith. She was so strong. And then Michael Jackson died on the same day!

I realized last night that I don't have any memory of NOT knowing Michael Jackson. My sisters and I watched the Jackson 5 cartoon show when I was around 6 years old. We listened to Jackson 5 45's (Dancing Machine, ABC, etc.) Then I can't tell you how many times I Iistened to the entire OFF THE WALL album. And then there was the history making THRILLER with those creative videos! Then there was Bad, Dangerous, History and Invincible - all of which I loved.
He was an artistic genius that can never be duplicated. I loved all his music and videos. I tried to explain to my daughters that when a MJ video premiered, it was an event. MTV would have NEVER been what it became to be without Michael Jackson. When he performed on Motown's 25th Anniversary show it was revolutionary. I'll never forget that night when he performed and our entire family watched glued to the TV. The screams from the audience were insane. That's what he could do generate excitement like no one else.
Michael Jackson was magic.