I am mesmerized by all of the news this week. The most buzz is regarding the death of Michael Jackson. While everyone is shocked by his death, part of me was not surprised. For a long time, I felt like he was going to pass away at a young age. I am mesmerized by the commentary of those who knew him. I am not really interested watching recounts of his life, I am way more fascinated by the words of the people who knew him personally.
In death, there is life. Bizarre how it takes the passing of someone to reflect on the true emotions one has for another. Why do we get caught up in our own everyday lives and in the process disregard the lives of others? I was reading an article this morning in which Lisa Marie Presley was commenting about her relationship with and feelings towards Michael Jackson:
“All of my indifference and detachment that I worked so hard to achieve over the years has just gone into the bowels of hell and right now I am gutted.”
Granted, this statement is taken out of context. But it is a commentary that reflects human nature. At least it is true of me. It is so easy to become so focused on what I have in front of me, that it sometimes takes an extra effort to keep in touch with those relationships I have outside a particular area or circle. And those are the people with whom I am on good terms. That’s not saying anything about those people towards whom I feel anger or resentment.
Over the years, I have gotten much better about dealing with being hurt or wronged. Usually there’s a situation that has occurred that is being misconstrued. The hurt feelings behind it are usually blown out of proportion in my head. So when the situation is addressed with the other party, the air gets cleared. However, it’s the long-distance blows that tend to stay stagnant and destroy relationships permanently. This is how the above-referenced quote resonates with me. Those times when we convince ourselves that we don’t care, that a relationship is not worth mending. But then the time comes when we no longer have the option to mend the relationship. Circumstance removes our own control and it’s too late to demonstrate how much we did care. In the end, we are left wishing we had shown compassion for the other party, knowing despite the situation, it is worth putting the emotions out there to mend the friendship.
