How About A Prayer For Billy Mays?

All we have heard about for nearly two weeks now is Michael Jackson. They have been treating him like some kind of conquering hero. I was going to say they've been treating him like Jesus, but let's face it, he's been getting much better press than Jesus. My purpose here is not to denigrate Jackson, I've acknowledged before that he was a big celebrity and that his death and things surrounding it are news, but the nonstop coverage and singing of his praises has been way out of hand. The fact is that he was a deeply troubled man, and really, not someone you would want as a role model for your children. And that's based on the hard and fast facts, not even taking into account the allegations. I know I'll have to talk about that a little, so let me just say this, we don't know for sure if Jackson did in fact molest those boys. It is true that he was never convicted, and it is also true that he paid off some families, neither of which proves for sure if he did or didn't. There are some people who I respect that claim that there is no way he did that, and there are people I respect who say that it is certain that he did. Either way, he's no role model.

Lost in this virtual sea of Jackson coverage has been Billy Mays. Unlike Jackson, Mays' death was not connected to drug use. There's not some huge mystery surrounding it. He hit his head when is plane came down hard on the runway, and he thought he was fine. The next morning he was dead. This actually gave the news outlets a great opportunity in one way, that is that they could have spent quite a bit of time talking with medical experts about head injuries and when you need to take them very seriously. I'm sure that there was some of that, but not nearly enough, because they just couldn't wait to get back to stories about Jackson (like tracking down his former pet monkey!). So, while Jackson's death, tragic as it may be, is linked to drugs, Billy Mays died going about his job and life.

Also, Billy Mays was a good man. A father, a son, a husband. He didn't start out as the worlds premier pitchman, he had to work at it. He learned to ply his trade on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, pitching products to the people there, no small task I'm sure. He found something he liked to do, and he worked very hard at it, and became, quite frankly, the very best in the world at what he did.

If you watched the show he co-stared in on the Discovery Channel, "Pitchmen," you would see that Billy could be a little cocky at times, and was a little quirky, but we all have flaws, and I can see where it could be tough not to be a little bit cocky if you were the very best in the entire world at what you do, so I'm not even hammering him on that. Still, I have to say again, he was a good man. He was the type of guy you could see yourself hanging out with and talking to. Yes he was quite wealthy, but as I said before, he worked long and hard to get there.

I so enjoyed watching "Pitchmen" that I was utterly floored when I first learned of his death. Believe me when I say, I have nothing but sympathy for his family. I do pray for them often, and hope that they turn to God for the strength to get through this tough time.

I understand that Billy Mays might not be as big of a news story as Michael Jackson, but would it be ok, maybe, to take a break from the building up of a man who doesn't deserve all the praise, and remember a man who does?