6.21.2011

A Cast of Atlantic City Characters............ #22 - Michael Jackson ...... Sort of......

La-La-La-La-La

“It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.”   
~  MARK TWAIN


We went to Jersey Shore this past weekend on the spur of the moment we decided that would be a great idea to give ourselves a break, a nice long 3 nights away ........out of town....... and what a great break it was.  We met a CAST of Characters while we were gone,  animated colorful characters that we will never forget. Never would we have been introduced to this vast array of characters in our sleepy little town of Ptown.  Sometimes, for us, "getting away from it all" , really is "going to it all" in a sense.


I am not going to write about this group of humans in any particular order.  I am just going to write about them as they pop up in my mind as I sit here contemplating which ones to "leave in" and which ones will be "left out."  I knew each of these people for only a small fraction of time........ and I have subtitled each one with "A cast of Atlantic City Characters" ......but each one left a mark.... a mark that made a difference in my life in some way and probably without even knowing it......  which just goes to prove that it only takes............one person ........


Photo Credit:  Amazon.com
#22  Michael Jackson ......... sort of

I couldn't help but remember my daughter (about 5 or 6 years old) lying in her de-bunked bed with a leg crossed over her other bent leg......with an opened album....... THRILLER by Michael Jackson...... "Momma I'm gonna marry Michael Jackson when I grow up" just a matter of fact-ly.  Her Dad immediately got nervous about her "choice" of husband she wanted to marry, and how vocal she was about it.

There he was........... sitting at the slot machine with his long black curly hair, sequined silver glove on his right hand.  He was much rounder and shorter than I imagine Michael Jackson would be but he wore all of the clothes and even the dark glasses, in the midst of the glaring lights.........the blaring machines.........and "heat" in the room he wore those tall white socks , loafers , long sleeves and SUNGLASSES!  He was on "my machine" and showed no signs of leaving any time soon.  The machine was letting him play and helping his tier scores immensely........... he played there for well over an hour.  I buzzed around the area on other machines , waiting patiently and checking out the details of his outfit.  His job was probably impersonating ....... but I was wondering if his talent was singing / dancing or both?  Was he really talented or was he just dressing the part?  My husband kept whispering that he was going to ask him for his autograph ,  I would giggle at the thought and then say "no, don't do that."  (knowing full well he really wouldn't do that)  At one point my husband talked to him, asked him how he was doing etc etc.......... Ignoring the big white elephant in the middle of the room.  I wonder if people want you to ask? or do they want you to mind your own business?    I thought...... maybe they oughtta do a "people of casinos" photo book or webpage........ if I had a camera I may have
there is a slight chance that,  I may have started this project on this trip......... but instead I will introduce you to the guy that made me wonder, gave us something to talk about........ on our trip and will forever be embedded in our memory of Atlantic City.

Michael Jackson.........the impersonator gave life to the deceased Michael Jackson ......the one that sang his way into the heart of my husband and I growing up with him as a superstar,  a tragic hero , a legend that died suddenly and without any notice........  Just as some people will never forget hearing that "Elvis" died, I will never forget walking down Myrtle Beach to the pier when my daughter, Kelly, called to let us know the news. Overdose........he was trying to sleep......I so understand the refuge of sleep in this cruel world... and how after having such terrible things happen to him....... he put his life to rest and others will live to eulogize him at a slot machine in Atlantic City....... I won't ask........ I will just remember








2 comments:

  1. I just read your Rain Man post, too, and Atlantic City sounds like a great place to be if one is a people watcher. It just popped into my head: my mom told me, once, that she and her sister would have to wait in the car while her mom grocery shopped and that the two of them would watch people come and go and make up stories about them. Atlantic City would be a fun place to do that. Love you.

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  2. YES YES YES Atlantic City is FULL of characters, I have a few more I will write about......
    next up ....... DADDY WARBUCKS LOL

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