Under very extreme circumstances

   Mike and I met under very extreme circumstances 

   We were so much alike; sensitive, religious, very close to our mom’s

   Both mothers were dragging families around the entire country to follow their man and his dream

   During the three months in which me and Mike had a lifetime of adventures  Katherine was gone at first. She went back to Gary, IN to have the baby (Janet) by her own doctor. She was busy afterward and Michael was always at my house.

   Even though I didn’t get to see her very much, I started thinking of her like a 2^nd mom also. I guess I was just reciprocating the feelings he had for my mom.

   Mike became so close to me and my Mother that me and him knew each other better than our own family members did and with his mom gone he started thinking of my Mom as his 2^nd Mom and called her “Mom” all the time.

   In 1966 that had to be a hard pill for any Mother to swallow. But then, Katherine was no ordinary Woman. She already had so many kids that one more kid calling her Mom didn’t faze her much, even if it was a white boy.

After  what we’d been through together. Being expelled for the violence those cowardice teachers forced us into.  The prejudice fans kicking my white family out of the parking lot.

On the air often was the not so old statement of John F. Kennedy; “Ask not what your Country can do for you but what you can do for your Country.”

 

Mike said: “That’s why I want to become famous. For what my fame can do to stop all this  prejudice and violence and other crap the world.

Promise me when were old, you’ll make me live up to that. If you’re really my friend you’ll kick my ass if I don’t. Promise me you’ll kick my ass if you have to, to make me do that.

Or if I die you’ll use my fame and our Adventure’s to finish that dream for me.

Please Mark? Promise to tell my children about our dream and about us.

The day after I met him. Michael Jackson who did not have a violent bone in his body. Risked his life fighting to save my life.

What you’re witnessing is me, fighting to fulfill the promise I made to him about making his dream of that fame being used to fight prejudice, Bullying and senseless violence such as Sandy Hook Elementary to honor him for risking his life for me and those children. This is what I vowed to do or die trying.

I know and shared the dream Michael had down deep in his soul.  I know he spent his life trying to do whatever he could to make it come true. He did it to. I know the changes he made. There is a big difference 50 Years later and I hear his and our words coming out of other people’s mouths more times than I can count every day.

But like he said: “It won’t do near as much good for peoples spirits or make as big a difference in their lives as it will when they hear our story and know that we planned it all as little kids.

Then and only then will they know what you and me know right now Mark. They will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that One person really can change the world by starting with the man in the mirror.” I will sing it to them and you will tell them because that’s what your good at you old story teller you. Then they will know that they can do it to.”