Every once in a blue moon, someone enters your life and makes an impact bigger than you could have ever imagined. (click the image.)
And just like that, they're gone.
For Felipe Bergara and Marissa Jennings, who died in a car crash on Edenwood Drive, only a block away from where I live, and whose deaths I witnessed firsthand.
For Edward "Ed" McMahon, who's voiced graced The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson for as long as America has remembered.
For Farah Fawcett, who was adored by both men and women worldwide as one of the original Charlie's Angels.
For Michael Jackson, who's influence in musical style remains ever-present to this very day, a man truly worth of the title "The King of Pop".
For Billy Mays, who captivated millions of viewers worldwide as he shouted his way to the top, the most enigmatic TV salesperson to ever endorse these products which we all use and love.
Never again will Felipe or Marissa return to their homes and families to have a nice Father's Day Dinner. Never again will we hear Ed McMahon declare, "Heeeeeeeere's Johnny!". Never again will Farah Fawcett entice us on the cover of the newest issue of Playboy. Never again will we see Michael Jackson perform the legendary moonwalk in front of thousands of adoring fans. And never again will we see Billy Mays endorsing another brand new product by boldly declaring, "HI, BILLY MAYS HERE!!!" at the start of each commercial.
These people were legends, heroes and heroines in every sense of the word. They were not solely loved for the entertainment they brought to us, for the songs and television shows and commericals alone. No, they were embraced because they were people, just like you and me, living day-to-day lives and constantly working their hardest to make those around them laugh and smile. They were loved not for what they did, but for who they were.
Throughout the past week alone, I have seen and heard enough with my very own eyes and ears to cause me to question the purpose of my very existence here on this earth. It would seem to me that each and every passing day gives me more and more of a reason to give up, and why I continue trying my hardest in all the things I do despite the odds being stacked against me is a miracle in itself.
It is not uncommon for human beings to feel pangs of loneliness at any given time, out of fear that their loved ones would not be there for them the next day, and this past week has shown us that. And as I myself am feeling as solitary as ever, perhaps on the verge of losing someone very dear to me, I take this time to reflect on the passing of many of the world's most loved people, and to pay tribute to those who's time in this world has been short-lived. Throughout my deepest days and darkest nights, my ordeals and my tribulations, you have been and will be my inspiration, now and forever.
For Felipe, Marissa, Ed, Farah, Michael, and Billy,
Your spirit lives on in our hearts and minds. May you forever rest in peace.
amen.
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I enjoyed this entry.