**Global Grind Exclusive**  I was laying down watching TV, I don’t remember what was on but a bulletin came across the bottom of the screen and all I caught was “Michael Jackson.. hospital..more news later.”  I screamed to my husband who was in the shower at the time like “babe why did they just say something about Michael Jackson in the hospital?” So he was like “what happened to him?” I told him I didn’t know then we kind of got off the subject.

So we’re playing Scrabble (I’m winning of course) and the news comes on, saying “Breaking news Michael Jackson dead at 50 yrs old” and we were both stuck. I don’t think I even believed it at first, it was as if it were a hoax or something but as the story developed we realized it was official. Now, my husband and I never get to be alone with each other without an officer around so we cherish our alone time together on our trailer visits. We try to spend every second of the two days (unless it’s a 4 day trailer) doing everything we can’t when we’re being watched. But June 25th, 2009 we spent almost the entire day channel surfing back and forth trying not to miss any of the news on MJ.

In less than 5 minutes I was crying (yes crying) and Pap was totally pissed because usually when people pass everybody talks about the good things in their lives and it seemed like all they were talking about was negativity. Eventually we found a channel that was actually showing sympathy and respect and we began reminiscing about our favorite Michael Jackson videos, my jheri curl era - which Pap found hilarious! That reminds me, I have to call my Mom and tell her DO NOT show him those pictures. I also started thinking about the MJ jacket with all the zippers and all the flavors of penny loafers that I had. It got to the point where every time Pap turned around I was trying to sneak and do the moonwalk in my socks. When I was younger, me and my little brother Ra used to put powder on the floor to do the moonwalk but my older brother was dumb nice, he didn’t need the powder!                     

Two weeks later it’s still Michael mania. I watched the memorial the other day and I was actually happy with the way it played out. Michael Jackson is the GREATEST hands down. The part I’ll never forget and that touched me the most along with all of the women who were in the rec watching it at the time, was seeing his daughter express her love towards her Dad. It made me think about how my son must feel without me and I realized how lucky I truly am to be able to be with him again one day. I was also glad that the Congresswoman clarified that Michael Jackson was acquitted; it’s sad when you get a not guilty verdict and are still treated like a criminal. The media pumps bad vibes sometimes and it’s crazy how people really believe and listen to what the media says.

I used to be one of those people that watched the news and bought the newspaper everyday and believed that everything that I was seeing and reading was true; up until the point where I ended up in their reports in a negative light. Now I only read the papers for the horoscopes and the comics and I only watch the news for the lottery numbers. They couldn’t even get my name or age right, more less the color of my vehicle that was right behind them parked in front of the precinct. Many reporters get their information at 4th, 3rd, 2nd hand at best. They're at liberty to word a headline however they see fit in order to sell the highest number of papers but rarely do they take a moment to stop and think that this is someone’s life that they’re tampering with, someone with a family, someone that might have children.

Since I’ve been incarcerated, I’ve managed to do something I think I would’ve never done or made the time to do at home. I read the entire Bible from Genesis page one to Revelation page 2,117. In the Gospels, they tell you how Jesus Christ who gave sight to the blind, helped the cripple walk, healed lepers, and fed thousands of people from a couple of loaves of bread was put on trial just because people didn’t like him. They made up stories, they accused him of things he didn’t do and all the while he proclaimed his innocence. None of the people he ever helped came forward on his behalf and those closest to him turned their backs on him, they even had an annual festival where they agreed to let one prisoner go and the people chose to let a known murderer go free over Jesus Christ. He was eventually found guilty and killed. So if that’s how they treat the Son of God, who are we? That right there gives me the strength to hold my head high everyday and I can honestly say I’m doing okay.

With that being said, I’m trying to lose weight because I’ve gained a few pounds eating devil dogs all day (those are my favorite), I’m not running through airports or jumping across stages right now so I have to burn those extra calories off. Maybe I’ll post a flick of Pap and I next week because we took a lot of pictures.

Thanks to everybody who sends me mail and posted nice messages from the last blog. And even to the people who put up not so nice messages, I know you don’t know any better! Also, shout out to all of my friends (the real ones.)

Forever Innocent,

Rem
 
RIP Michael Jackson