500 words on Joe Jackson

What’s in a name? If you are Joe Jackson, at least $20,000 a month. The biggest tragedy of the death of Michael Jackson might just be the return of Joe Jackson to the public stage.

We’ve been treated to delightful gems like his inability to remember the names of his grandchildren, his creepy denials of abuse, the pimping of the Jackson brand while the corpse was still warm, and the complete disregard for his family’s well-being. Most recently, Joe Jackson has delivered his request for a monthly allowance of $20,000 a month from the estate of his recently, and unexpectedly, deceased son. . . . But it’s okay because it’s less money than he was mooching off his Michael when he was alive.

Some, including Michael Jackson, have said that the nontraditional upbringing and likely abusive household of Joe Jackson shaped the artists his children became. Without Joe Jackson, his weird facial hair, his love of fedoras, and his quick temper, then maybe Michael never would’ve been Michael, Janet never would’ve been Janet, and LaToya never would’ve been from outer space.

The role of the parents in shaping the people we become is irrefutable, but should we be grateful for the hard times if the adversity teaches us how to triumph?
I’d rather have grown up without “Billie Jean” and “Bad”, if Michael could’ve grown up without belts, switches, and calling his father “Joseph”. Everyone needs a daddy, sometimes.

When can we start to form our own identities? At thirty-one years-old, I still find my parents often have the greatest influence over decisions I make in life. Despite disagreeing with them often and charting a course far stranger than they would have designed, they still play a role in nearly every decision.

I drink skim milk because when we moved to California, for some reason, mom switched from 2% and it stuck. The opening beats of “CBS Sunday Morning” is the most soothing song I know and those strange sun graphics always bring a smile to my eyes. I’ll always choose the fold-out sofa bed when offered as an option because of the five years of my life when one was always out in our family room. These are the profound, although small, influences my folks have had on me over three decades, mostly good, occasionally not, and frequently more important. College majors (Business Administration), cars (Hondas), holidays (almost always with them), haircuts (shorter preferred), piercings and tattoos (never and one), music (The Mamas and the Papas).

That last name, that’s important, too. I have a theory about disaster coming down on families that mix up last names. I’ll write about that some time. The Jacksons kept it the same. It follows them everywhere.

I don’t have a Joe Jackson in my life, but I also don’t have a “Thriller” begging to come out and change music forever. And I don’t have $20,000 a month to share. I do have two parents; at least two people I know love me.