Oh Boy.
When I first got to the race, I thought that I would rather be anywhere in the world except there. (And by the end, there were few places I’d rather be.) I love half marathons, but you have to understand I had not had a night with the amount of sleep I needed in… well, who knows how long? I’d say at least two weeks, maybe even longer.
I know that plenty of people never get enough sleep. And people are always, “Oh, you can sleep when you’re dead.” Okay, yes and no. I’m all for living and using every moment of life that you can. But life is better when you sleep. Biology.
So, my brain, my eyes, my body, my everything was begging me to just go to sleep. But alas, it was time for a race.
Same as yesterday, my only goal was to finish. The time limit was 4 hours, so as long as I came in under that, I felt fine. I jogged part of the beginning, ’cause I like to get a nice little start going, then I walked the rest of the way. I tried to make sure there was always someone behind me. I didn’t really want to be last.
Since this was the day before my birthday (aka the anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death), I decided it’d be al Michael all the time through this race. If possible. I do have a tendency to break out into wailing, sobbing, and any other kind of general breakdown anytime I listen to him for too long – especially any day surrounding June 25th. But you know, I think crying is good for you. So, let’s see if I can keep it together enough to race. If not, I’ll just save it all for when I get home.
Surprisingly I did not have a breakdown while listening to him. I think there’s something about those exercise endorphins or focusing on another goal. It always seems less sad (and more possible) to listen to his music during a half marathon. Plus, time has passed since that day. It doesn’t make him any less special, or the day any more sad. But you know, time minimizes all wounds. (Some can’t be healed, yo.)
And his music is so good – one of the most obvious statements that could be made, but it’s so true. And somehow, I actually forget. I mean, I know I love him. The world knows I love him. I know his music is beyond words exceptional and that he’s the most talented human being to ever grace this planet. But it still hits me like new, sometimes, how truly amazing his music is. Amazing. The fun, cool accent he has on random words. (Example: When he says “or as simple as do, re, mi,” and he makes a whole new world combining “or” with “as.” I’ve got a million of these examples. He did it as a kid. He did it as an adult. He’s just cool and creative.)
And the engineering! Give Bruce Swedien a Grammy. You don’t need to, actually, ’cause they already did (five times). And the producing, obviously. Quincy Jones is one of my heroes (and the reason I went to Berklee (Quincy’s alma mater) and majored in his major (Music Production and Engineering).)
Back to MJ – inflections, emotions, accents, lyrical content, rhythm – Michael Jackson’s got it going on. I’m so everything toward him all at once – crazy jealous, crazy inspired, crazy angry and devastated over his death – everything. All of it. If there’s an emotion to be had in the universe, I probably feel it toward or about him.
You know what else I forget about him sometimes? How many amazing, incredible songs he has. So many. So very, very many. “Earth Song”. Yeah, do you remember that? “Another Part of Me”. Oh, yeah. (Do you remember Captain EO?) I’ve got a million of these examples as well.
So, I’m walking along at the back of the pack, rocking out hardcore. (He is honestly so good. It hurts.)
And this is where I’ll pick up with actual race stuff and (not just love toward Michael Jackson) tomorrow.
p.s. I warned you in the title that that is really all just about Michael Jackson, so don’t be too mad that that’s what you just read about.