So, I watched Mrs. Doubtfire tonight. I dont remember it being so sad. Usually, when such a public figure dies, two things happen: Firstly, droves of previously oblivious people come out of the wordwork, claiming to be fans. Secondly, bottomfeeders crawl out of the mire to sell their So-and-so was an inconsiderate asshat stories. Robin, like in so many other cases, is an exception to this. Every generation had its entry point into Robins career. For many older folks, Mork died the other day. For people more my age, Genie died. And Alan from Jumanji. And Mrs. Doubtfire. And that badass shrink from Good Will Hunting. Its heartbreaking. My point is, its uniquely hard to believe that anyone claiming to have been a fan now was not one this time last week. Robin was a fixture in the life of (dare I say) every American. As for the bottomfeeders ... where are they? Even beloved figures such as Michael Jackson were strung up hours after his death by salacious inside stories. Instead, we have piles of stories from people -- celebrity and otherwise -- depicting Robin as the absolute nicest and funniest man theyve ever known. Christopher Reeve, Superman himself, once said that Robin was the first person to make him laugh after his accident. When Conan OBrien lost his show on NBC, Robin sent him a psychedelically-painted bicycle with clovers on it. Conan hardly even knew Robin. Robin even did so much for our veterans and combat troops, that the U.S. Department of Defense publicly commented on their mourning his loss. Oh, you didnt know Robin did so much for the troops? Me neither. Probably because he never felt much need to talk about it. In this schadenfreude-driven world we live in, this incredible man still stands tall. Im struggling to reason whether this consolation is uplifting or just makes the loss that much more sad. Which finally brings me to the point of this (strange, I know) post. Mental illness is a condition that, unlike sore thumbs, does not always stick out like a sore thumb. Someone we considered to be so uniquely kind, funny, and generous was actually so tormented inside that he took his own life. Forgive the morbidity, but just think, what if someone were there with and for him? To hold him, and tell him everything is going to be OK at that moment? Folks, life is only slightly more precious than it is fragile. Sometimes that smiling man needs a hug most of all.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 05:39:32 +0000
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