With all of the darkness going on in the world at the moment, the last thing we needed now was the loss of a major source of light and laughter. Nonetheless, we lost one of the best today. Robin Williams, a source of immense creativity and humor, whos tremendous talents were never more needed than they are right now. Theres already been a lot of posts about him all over social media, and countless more to come in the days ahead, as we look back on our fondest memories and moments from his 40+ year career as an entertainer, but Im going to add one more anyway. Hes been a staple of both comedy and drama for my whole life, and a master of both, but more than that he was a genuinely endearing human being, with a sincere depth and love for people and entertaining. He made us laugh, made us cry, and made us think a little differently about our world, and he was able to inject a manic level of positive energy into our lives like no other. He seemed like such a beautiful and dynamic soul, and one that now, sadly, appears to have been deeply tortured for quite some time. Its one of the great ironies in life, that some of the warmest, funniest, most gentle and giving people are often also the most anguished and pained inside. Comedy, it is said, is tragedy plus time. The best comedy is simply the bitter pill of hard truth, wrapped in the sweet vessel of humor. Few people on this Earth could prove that statement to be true as well as Robin Williams did. He was a master of his craft, an incredibly gifted comedian who told us profound truths through humor, and sometimes was just the goofy class clown that was so needed at the moment. More than that though, he was also a gifted dramatist, with an undeniably unique and genuine presence to his roles, always with that knowing glint in his eyes. Anyone who has ever seen Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, or his recent guest role on Louie can not possibly deny the depth of his sincerity and soul. From the manic wild eyed goofball he played as Mork from Ork on Mork and Mindy, to his dramatic roles in films like Good Morning Vietnam and The Fisher King, Robin Williams was a magnetic and dynamic presence on any size screen. Truly, this news hit me hard, like a gut punch. With all that is going on in the world right now, and in daily personal life, I often turn to comedy for relief and levity, and there were none better than Robin for providing that outlet. Its as if the sun dimmed a little today, as it always does when ones heroes leave this world. And the world has been a dark enough place as it is already lately. As someone who has struggled a lot with severe depression throughout my own life, and has lost several good people to suicide over the years, news like this always hits hard. If anything at all good can come from this, it may be an increased awareness of suicidal depression, and the fact that it can strike anyone, people we may never suspect. If you know anyone who is struggling with severe depression, or who has become withdrawn and distant, please, reach out to them. It isnt always about having to understand exactly what theyre going through, but simply about understanding that they are going through something that is very real. Its about being a source of sincere support for them, an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, with no expectations or judgements, and about adding some crucial light to their lives, which can make all of the difference in the world some days. The unfortunate stigma of depression still persists, that it isnt a real affliction, thats its something that people just need to man up and get over. If, however, a force of nature like Robin Williams can succumb to the heavy weight of his depression, how can anyone not take it seriously? 20 Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans are lost to suicidal depression every day on average here in America. Grown men and women, combat survivors, struck down by depression. Severe depression is a very real, and very profound affliction, and it need not be the killer it all too often is. Our entire perception of reality and the world takes place within our minds, and when someones mind becomes darkened by the grip of depression, their whole world grows dark. Sadly, for a man who gave our collective world so much of his light for over 4 decades, his own inner world became too dark to live in any longer. I cant begin to speculate on what the nature of his personal darkness may have been, but I do know that for him it felt every bit as real and as heavy as any other troubles we may have in life. Im sorry that you could not find peace with your troubles in this world Mr. Williams, but you will truly be missed, terribly. You were truly one of a kind, a true original of epic proportions, and we are at a terrible loss in your absence. Nanu Nanu my friend.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 06:14:14 +0000
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