worldlyman Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Michael Jackson, hmm. Oh, he passed away? Interesting talent was he.And by the way, I was born in the same city of Gary, Indiana, like he.St. Mary's Mercy Hospital for me. I don't know what establishment he was born in though. I think he was bornin his home.For years, I've stared (and still do) at pictures of my once proud hometown on the east side of Chicago.The boarded up Dairy Queen near Aetna, Dunes Bowling Alley, Horace Mann High (my aunties went there) and some places off Broadway, where my grandpa once had his Aikido dojo circa 1965-1975. Seeing all that...kinda makes me feelgoosebumps of yesteryear. When I was an 8 year old kid back in 1976 cycling around my hometown...would I have ever thought my special childhood places would be photographed and put into archival sights like "abandonedbutnotforgotten.com?" Indeed, Mercy Hospital has been boarded up as well. I was born there, my grandma worked in the pharmacy there...I wonder if the enchanting Chinese-American restaurant Ming-Ling's is still open in Gary.I always made the effort to go back to Gary, despite my limited time and resources. And no more relatives in its city limits, they being in Chicago or nearby Hammond now (but mostly in Houston and Florida). Been back three times in 1986, 1988 and 1996.Michael Jackson? I heard he left in 1970. Didn't go back until 2003? I understand he had words of love for our Steel Town. Yeah, I bet. 30 year absence despite his resources and presumable time. He still has relatives in the city limits too. There are those in Gary, Indiana who do express the disappointment over being deprived of the Pop King's presence all those decades.Still, when the Jackson Family used to walk around downtown Gary before they left, I wonder if they ever noticed my grandpa's Aikido dojo on Broadway...though I've never heard that they went in or anything. Probably not known as a martial family or anything anyway. Grandpa's school was endorsed by the great Sensei Koichi Tohei, kinda of an active place in those days. Speaking of those days in Gary...my Filipino-American family who had a campaign party for Mayor Richard Hatcher back in the mid 70s, first black city leader in the Steel Town, in fact Indiana. They were doing the balloons and food...I told my mom, "Mom, I wanna see the mayor!" I woke up the next day, with all the leftover food and balloons...turns out I fell asleep. The days of my grandfolks' house on that cute little hill in the lovely Miller neighborhood. Social nirvana of the 1970s, man. I remember. My brothers and buds don't seem to recall much except Banana Splits ("one banana, two banana, three banana four...").Karl Malden (R.I.P. to you to too, Mr. Streets of San Francisco), Morgan Freeman...other guys from the Steel Town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumapayam Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Anyone else going to the Michael Jackson IMMORTAL show, Cirque Du Soleil?I am going to the first show Friday 2/10/2012.No idea how this will compare to their other musical act themed show, The Beatles: LOVEAnyone, not from Houston, seen the show yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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