I watched most of the Michael Jackson memorial extravaganza .
He didn't teach the world how to love , and he didn't appear as a special surprise mystery guest to climax the proceedings , though a few members of the audience , I suspect , were half-expecting him to .
He wasn't Jesus Christ , or even Martin Luther King .
Not entirely dis-similarly from Princess Diana he was a complex , troubled character who undoubtedly , in his own way , had a caring , giving and humanitarian side to his nature .
Above all he was a supremely talented singer , entertainer and innovator , the best of whose music , and videos will I suspect be enjoyed for centuries to come .
Which alone is enough to make him special .
The highly charged atmosphere of the special , unique occasion , sombre but emanating warmth , love and reverence , not just for MJ but for people in general was palpably , mesmerisingly moving .
Compelling viewing even if you didn't like him .

When I turned on my small radio this morning it had somehow tuned itself to the BBC World Service : They were talking about the psychology of people vicariously wallowing in grief for people they've never known .

In third-world countries , if someone loses a child , or anyone close to them it's back to work the next day , or they don't eat .
I've read the first 60 pages of Kevin Wells' book about his daughter Holly's disappearance , in Soham , in 2002 , and the subsequent discovery of her and her friend Jessica having been killed by the school caretaker Ian Huntley , which I got from the 'fill a bag for £2' booksale on Sunday .
Which so vividly evokes the unimaginable situation that he and his family found themselves in .

It's been a funny old time for me since the beginning of last month , for various reasons . This morning it was four weeks since I saw the vet who said that Leo cat should be confined in the cage for at least another month .
I made a personal decision to let him out , he's no longer on painkillers , and has been leaping about all over the house - not allowed out yet - and he's fine , currently after a moth , that's frustratingly eluding him .
I'll still take him to the vet on thursday , when he'll need his vaccination-booster injection .