There’s not much left to be said about Michael Jackson that hasn’t been said already in the wake of his death. When I heard the news, I – like most people – found it hard to digest. MJ is an American icon, but he was human, too…something we tend to forget when it comes to ultra celebrities like him. No matter how he lived his personal life, nothing can change the fact that he was a phenomenal entertainer whose fame and influence spanned multiple generations.

I’ve been listening to a lot of Michael Jackson’s music over the past two weeks, and it’s been fun revisiting the songs that I loved so much as a child. I caught the last hour or so of his memorial service today, and I just have to share with you what I thought was the most emotionally moving musical performance of all:

I’ll never forget performing “Heal the World” as a third grader in my elementary school musical, We’re Gonna Have an Earth Day. The show itself was cheesy, but the feeling that I had when we sang that as a choir came rushing back as I watched today’s rendition during the memorial. There’s no questioning Michael Jackson’s profound effect on the world, and the fact that he will be missed.

If you’re like me, you’ve been waiting for this day for a long time now. Later this morning, Barack Obama will be sworn into office and can officially be called the President of the United States. Your classroom may be one of millions tuning in around the country, and if so, there’s no doubt that you will be witnessing history.

This morning as I got ready for work, I watched coverage of the masses flooding onto the National Mall – they are expecting 2 to 3 million people. Unbelievable! My father-in-law is there as a chaperone with his school’s student government association, and I’m sure he’ll have stories to tell when he gets home.

If you didn’t get a change to watch HBO’s free “We are One” concert on Sunday night, here is a link where you can watch it online. The lineup is pretty amazing, with performances by U2, Garth Brooks, James Taylor, Beyonce, and many more. It’s definitely a star-studded and moving program.

It will be interesting to watch the country slowly change under President Obama, hopefully for the (much, much) better. I’ll leave you with a YouTube video you’ve probably already seen or at least heard about: “Yes We Can”.