By Michael P Coleman 

Grandma Coleman used to admonish me about making mountains out of molehills, or creating unnecessary drama.  That’s what I told myself the media were doing way back in Michael Jackson’s post-Off The Wall days, when he still had an afro and beautiful, dark brown skin, and initial reports of his eccentricities began to emerge.  

In the early 80s, Jackson rocked a Gheri Curl LONG after they had played out.  After I saw it, in the “Beat It” video, I believe, I marched my black ass into the campus Walgreens and bought the first of many S Curls kits.  I talked my girlfriend into applying that lye in my dorm room, and I couldn’t wait to fling some of my new, liberally applied curl activator off of my head while I shook that aforementioned black ass to Jackson’s music.  

I wore much-too-short black Levi 501s, just to show off my ivory sox and ebony loafers.  I Slim Fast-ed myself down to a 29 inch waist and shaved the peach fuzz from my upper lip.  I installed contact lenses for the first time just so I could wear a pair of aviator sunglasses…inside.  If I had been man enough, I’d have sported mascara beneath those shades.  

Just in case you didn’t figure it out, let me be clear:  I loved Michael Jackson.  But dude was weird.  But just because he was weird doesn’t mean he was a child molester. 

And if he was a child molester, I can still dance with him.  

Click here to read the full Michael’s Mind’s Eye column.  

 Connect with freelance writer Michael P Coleman at michaelpcoleman.com or follow him on Twitter:  @ColemanMichaelP.

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