So my office this summer is three miles from Hollywood, and since I got out of work early today I thought I’d run up to Hollywood and see if I could get a picture or two of the memorials that formed around Michael Jackson’s star on the Walk of Fame. Okay, that was a mistake. It is a little crowded around there.

The picture above shows how close I got to taking a look. If I had an extra hour or two to spare, I could’ve fought my way up and had my chance to visit the star. But to tell the truth, I never was that big of a fan.

On the positive side, I might be on CNN tonight. I’ll be the bald guy taking this picture of reporter, Richard Quest.

I took Sunset Boulevard home and drove past the house that will long be famous as the place where Michael Jackson died. Police have the entire street blocked off today, but one day I will stop and take a picture of it, too.

I know, so many folks are saying that this shouldn’t be such a big deal. And, of course. We can say that every single day when it comes to celebrity anythings. But the truth is that it is a big deal. Celebrities get a certain level of attention, mega-celebrities get an extra level of attention, and the untimely death of mega-celebrities get an extra, extra level of attention. Welcome to the untimely death of a mega-celebrity.

Part of this phenomenon is that celebrities become a part of our families in some ways. People peruse the obituaries to see if they know anyone, and when it comes to celebrities, LOTS of us know them. In this case, you must add to the mix the strangely powerful medium of music. Songs shape our lives on a spiritual level, and Michael Jackson performed many of the songs that composed the melody of many of our lives.

I do not own an iPod, and I was never much of a music collector. I did own one of the King of Pop’s cassettes way back in my high school days. I think I bought “Bad” because of one song: Man in the Mirror. It is easily my favorite Michael Jackson song. In addition to the beauty of the music, I loved the message of the song – “If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change.”

I wonder if my decision to preach was shaped by lyrics like that song? I wonder if my later decision to leave that profession and go to law school came from that same thought? You never know with music, but I know that the philosophical offering of those lyrics are part of the fabric that makes me “me.”

Michael Jackson was an odd one. Talented. Controversial. Unforgettable.

But he sure left the world with music, and no matter your opinion of him, I for one am grateful for what he left us.