If I Could Go Back In Time

“Life gives us brief moments with another...but sometimes in those brief moment we get memories that last a life time...”

I have always heard and been told that one should never live life looking backwards. It's not productive. Never live in the present, looking towards the future, with woulda coulda shouldas pulling you back. Always embrace your future and live in the moment. That's where your energies should go.

However, I must admit, sometimes when just the right oldies song comes on the radio,  I become nostalgic and remember when. In that moment, I am taken back. It's amazing how a song can take you there---back in time---where you remember, and can almost feel what you were doing and who you were with at a moment from your past. And you smile because the memory makes you happy; it's almost like reliving it.

I've experienced a normal, middle class existence, just like most people, and sometimes I wonder, if even for a few seconds, what it would feel like to revisit my past. Even if it was only for an hour, or a day, with the knowledge I have now, to revisit various events and significant moments from my youth and young adulthood. 

Wouldn't that be absolutely amazing?

I've had my share of good, bad, joyous and tragic moments and they have all blended together and made me the person I am today. I have learned many life lessons. I'm the conclusion of all the moments and events I've experienced in my past. We are all products of our past. A summation of events.

If I had a magical wand and the ability to time travel, I would go back to these major points in my life.

• a day when I had terrific fun with all my female cousins that I grew up with
• the day I turned 13 (finally a teenager)
• the day I turned Sweet 16
• my first date
• my senior prom
• a day in high school
• a visit with my mom
• I'd revisit the moment I fell in love for the first time
• the first time I became a woman
• high school graduation
• turning 21
• a day in college
• college graduation
• first day on a real job
• my wedding day
• birth of my son
• birth of my daughter
• reunion with all my deceased relatives
• first book deal
• ???? (the ones yet to come)

The really great thing is that with God willing, I'll have many more special moments in my life. Life goes by so quickly. It's a shame that some people don't embrace it before it's too late. Memories. . . the fabric of life.

Rest in Peace, Michael Jackson

Breaking news: Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, is dead at 50 years old. I can't believe it. My mind simply won't or simply can't accept this. I've been in front of my TV since the news broke. Im watching CNN, BET and other media outlets as they take us through the brilliant life of one of, if not the greatest entertainer this century has seen. And. . . I keep repeating to myself, this can't be real, he's not really dead, I can't believe this. He was suppose to live to a ripe old age and pass away quietly in his sleep.

Michael's death has reinforced two clear facts: Life is short and when it's your time, it's your time.

Michael Jackson. My first celebrity crush. Who could resist the cute, brown-skinned boy with the large brown eyes and the beautiful voice? When he sang I just knew he was singing to me and only me. When he danced, he mesmerized me with his fancy footwork. I recall I was going to marry Michael, my sister, Randy and one of my cousins was going to marry, Marlon. We had it all planned out and were going to have a triple wedding and live happily ever after and become best friends with Janet.

From my early teenage years to young adulthood, Michael Jackson songs have been right there with me every step of the way. I have a MJ song for every boy I was in love with at one time or another.

In my reflection, I can't even begin to imagine what it must feel like to make a major impact on the entire world. Not just the United States, but the ENTIRE world. Some people are born to make a difference, to make a change. They are far and few between. Rare jewels. Michael Jackson was one of those people, imperfections and all.

RIP Michael Jackson. You are gone but will forever be remembered and discovered for generations and generations to come. True icons never die.