Michael Jackson: Before The Weirdness And Plastic SurgeryWritten by Dean Phillips
You couldn't help but be captivated by unbelievably cute kid with amazingly controlled falsetto voice and electric dance moves. He was only 10 years old, when he exploded onto music scene, along with his brothers as lead singer of Jackson 5, but he had stage presence of a twenty year veteran. Before or since, I haven't seen a child that talented, that aware, that dynamic, that charismatic!I'm talking about Michael Jackson, of course. And if you didn't have privilege of seeing him perform as a child-- live or on television, you missed out on most gifted child performer in history of music. Do yourself a favor and see if you can find a videotape of some of Jackson 5's old television appearances, and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. They were truly magical--especially Michael! The whole world fell in love with Jackson 5! In early seventies, Jackson 5 were hottest recording act on planet! They had number one record after number one record, after number one record. They sold out concerts worldwide. They were everywhere--television commercials, cereal boxes, school bookcovers, and on every teeny-bopper magazine. They even had their very own Saturday morning cartoon! The Jackson 5 were truly a phenomenom!
| | Family as an EntityWritten by Skye Thomas
As a mother, I feel that it's my duty to look out for needs of each individual in family. I believe that no one person, child nor adult, is more important than any other. Every single member of family is unique and special and their needs are unique and special. Even if all kids live under same house rules, they're taught and enforced differently depending on each one's learning curve and personality type. Also adults in house are to be equal regardless of who raises kids and who brings home money. Everyone's emotional health, spiritual health, and physical health are equally important. But there's a hidden family member that sometimes gets forgotten when we're juggling needs of everyone. What about family as a unit? How does it weigh into equation?First let's look at dynamics of individuals in family. The adults can't make themselves center of universe. Parents who are so caught up in their own careers, relationships, or just in their own heads all of time, often have lonely depressed children who doubt their parents' love and devotion. Studies have already shown a very high percentage of teens experimenting with drugs and alcohol are from homes where parents are too self absorbed to notice or to pay attention to what's happening with their own kids. On other hand, it's very easy as parents to sacrifice ourselves for greater good of family. I suspect that this very dynamic plays into resentments and underlying tensions found in most households. The adults often give up their dream jobs, drop out of college, or stops having a social life outside of family because at some point along way it seemed like answer to some problem. For whatever reason, there's no time, energy, or money left for adults when all is said and done. They seldom get to pick up those pieces of themselves that they sacrificed along way. The parents shouldn't become martyrs to their kids or family. It's up to parents to find a healthy balance between two extremes. I've heard a lot of people say that children should always come first at any cost. I don't agree. Children who are raised to be center of universe grow up to be adults who believe that they have a rightful place as center of everyone else's universe too. It's unfair to teach kids that they are more important then everyone else. They become self-esteem monsters and bullies. The real world will teach them a very difficult lesson. People won't like them no matter how special Mommy and Daddy think they are. It's better to teach children that everyone is equal in regards to needs, hopes and dreams, responsibilities, and other dynamics of getting along in world. Mommy's need for peace and quiet once in awhile is every bit as important as little Billy's need to jump and run and play. The key again is for parents to find a balance between opposing needs.
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