What My Friends and I Are Doing to Honor Michael on This Sad, Bittersweet, Historic Day

Some of us could arrange to be in LA and some of us couldn’t, and we agreed we just had to all be together, so we are shuttering businesses, taking vacation days, traveling great distances in some cases, and meeting at a friend’s mansion in Acton, Mass, wherein he has a huge, state-of-the-art home theater, since he is very, very rich; virtually to the point of obscenity.

And his incredible mansion is absolutely chockfull of gorgeous Michael memorabilia—his ‘most cherished treasures,’ as he lovingly calls them. So, the perfect venue to revel in the proceedings together—and of course, we will be taping them, so we can watch over and over and over and over, for the next several days; and then at this time every year from now on.

For the past week, we have all been tenderly crafting our personal remembrances of how Michael touched and enriched our lives in so, so many countless ways—and polishing, polishing, polishing. (Personally, I’m counting on getting to deliver mine at least three times. And I’d just better, or there will be some serious pouting and indignant foot-stamping!!! I might even jump up and down while holding my breath!!!)

We’ve all agreed not to let any phony ‘machismo’ get in the way of plenty of hand-holding, hugging, wailing, speaking from overflowing hearts—and the inevitable unburdening, comforting virtual river of shared tears.

Not being able to be at the LA memorial all together (and with literally millions of fellow mourners—and the slightly inconvenient logistics totally inconsequential given the magnitude of the moment) certainly seemed tragic at first, but we now agree that our own personal (and surely very well documented indeed, as we just love to take pictures of each other) ‘Acton Memorial Service’ will not only bring us all closer together, but will also furnish us with indelible, bittersweet but cherished memories we can savor together for the rest of our lives!

And then we can say another bleeping prayer—for what’s left of the *#%*##%* Red Sox Offense!!!