The Shallow Abyss: Sorry Odd People

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Sorry Odd People

Before I regale you with stories and photos from our first sailing adventure a quatre, a quick note about today.

I have now watched most of the bits and pieces of the Michael Jackson Memorial. I won't lie - I don't think of myself as a fan. I have liked many of his songs, but I didn't run out and buy an album ever. Isabella Sammarco probably choreographed a dance for us to one of his songs at some point but I couldn't tell you what one. The only Michael Jackson song in my heart is the one from Free Willy - just hearing the beginning bars puts me back in the living room of Point Street with Shiaheem. It was our song and it is a sweet memory to think of Shiaheem and Willy and the boy in that movie and even Michael Jackson all converging together in their alone-ness and not-belonging-ness. I didn't even get that until today.

But all this to say that watching the memorial and listening to the words of the songs he wrote and the words of those who loved him -- I realize that his life condemns me. His exclusion, his weirdness, his oddness as a way of life - I judged it, and I judge it in others almost every day. And yet he was loved. Probably in much the same way I am, the same way my kids are.

Brokeness is so easy to see, so easy to evaluate. I would prefer to learn to see the other parts though, to enjoy the goodness. To see what Jesus sees, love what Jesus loves.

So odd that Michael Jackson would teach me that.

But enough - back to us! My awesome family, odd though we may be. We went a-sailing, spending 2 nights on the new and improved Cheap Therapy and it was fabulous. Following are photos and maybe even a video. Watch for the father-daughter pleasure as well as hints of all the good work that Scotty has done to make our new ship sea-worthy.