29 years ago, I first heard Dancing Machine and I was never the same again.

I imitated him. I emulated him. I looked up to him. And I wanted to be just like him.

If there was ever any public figure who touched my soul like nobody ever did, it was Michael Jackson. No, not Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson. It was The Michael Jackson. The Moonwalker, they call him. The real M.J.

The man in the mirror with the glove showed me why music is truly the language of the soul. In an era when a lot of times humanity is lacking love, Michael continued to inspire and give hope to the world despite his many mistakes, shortcomings, faults, or whatever you want to call the very things he suffered from.

He transcended cultures and brought the world together. He made all of us feel the kind of love that we're missing in this wretched and wicked world.

Even in death, his message will continue to be heard and felt until the end of time. The man's influence is that powerful, simply because all he did was care.

Watching his memorial today in downtown Los Angeles propelled me to write this because of his impact on my life. His undying passion for all things human made him a true role model and superstar in my eyes. His relentlessness to pursue perfection in his craft is what makes me continue to strive for perfection in everything I do. Even when I blog, I edit my post or comment for errors countless times because I don't want to see mistakes. This is what Michael meant to me.

Truth be told, I'm neither extraordinary nor legendary like M.J. but I will sure as hell try to be like him. Heck, I'm unemployed now after being laid off twice in the last seven months and I'm at an all-time low mentally. Yet I remain strong, I maintain hope, I continue doing what I do, and human nature tells me to keep loving life to the fullest and keep on striving for perfection. This is all because of Michael and his message.

27 years ago during my late grandfather's birthday party, I danced to Billie Jean in front of over 100 guests. In 1989 when I was 12 years old, I performed a Smooth Criminal/Billie Jean medley at my junior high school talent show to honor Jackson. I wore "the glove", spun around, stopped, kicked out my leg, and moonwalked to my heart's content. Many years have passed since then, and although my moves are nowhere near as sharp, I continue to try and imitate those moves when I'm standing in front of a mirror while Thriller is blasting in my living room. I certainly don't stop til I get enough, and this is what Michael meant to me. His influence is timeless.

I guess the reason I'm writing all of this is not so much to pay tribute to him but more so to convey the imprint he made on my life. His love for music, for people, for entertaining, and for life showed in his tremendous character and ethic. To this day, his integrity, talent, and genius is umatched by any singer, actor, musician, athlete, or entertainer that's ever lived. And his loyalty to the people showed how greatly his work of art touched so many people's lives in countless ways.

Simply put, M.J. had this magical and captivating power to make me, as well as millions of others, feel very special. For this, I am utterly thankful to M.J. for blessing my heart.

Hopefully his legacy and his memory and his message will touch the hearts of our world's leaders so they can realize within themselves the example that this man has meant to the citizens of this planet and inspire them to make a change for the betterment of humanity.

Hopefully we can all help each other - regardless of race, religion, culture, or color - and transform ourselves in the process.

Rest in peace, King Michael. I've been thrilled to know you. Say what's up to my dad for me.