It has been quite a while since I last posted. I guess the hustle and bustle of life temporarily took over my passion to self-reflect and string my thoughts into words. But last weekend, something reignited the spark and compelled me to start this therapeutic journey once again. And the reason for this was none other than Michael Jackson. Wow, a legend, whose music cannot be praised or described in words – they have to be experienced.

Ever since I saw the movie trailer, I knew I had to watch Michael. I wanted to relive the magic of the 80s, experience his music with my entire family on the big screen. And God, were we excited. My husband, my daughter and I began back-counting the days, replaying the trailers, revisiting his music videos, interviews, you name it, and we did it all. Immersed ourselves in his world. And the day finally arrived and we booked the weekend tickets, super excited to watch the movie and dance to his songs….

Until the day before the show, I stumbled upon an article where a critic gave the movie only 1 star. At first, I was tempted to read it, but something inside deterred me, as though saying – Beat It. I simply turned the page and kept it away. I was determined to watch the movie without someone else’s opinion colouring my thoughts and have my own experience with my family. And boy, what a great decision that was…which in my case is a rare occurrence.

From the first frame, it was a beautiful journey into the maestro’s life. It covered his struggles, his grit, his innocence, his passion for music and determination to make the world a better place – all packed in two hours. And the silver lining was watching him dance and sing, which, to my surprise, my daughter sang along and we got to relive the magic of his concerts. Oh God, I was on cloud nine, hooting and clapping all the way through, embarrassing my little a tad bit. Honestly, not a tad bit – quite a bit. If she had allowed, I would have done my own version of the moon walk in the theatre during his Billie Jean’s performance. We all left the theatre with a smile, waiting with anticipation to watch the next instalment of his story.

On the drive back home, I told my husband about the rating the critic had given, and if I had chosen to read the review, I would have deprived myself and my family of this wonderful experience. This made me realise that everywhere we go, what we read, we watch – we hear people share their own views, versions of truth or narratives – which unknowingly colour our thoughts. We need to be judicious of what and whom we choose to hear and believe, rather than letting it replace our own experiences or search for truths.

So, as a die hard Michael Jackson fan, I plan not to let others’ opinions matter and go for the movie again with some like-minded folks to dance and be a child once again without any hesitation. Wanna join me!