Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Oh Captain, My Captain

In Memory of Robin Williams

So, I've been trying to find words to express my feelings about the passing of Robin Williams, and the issues of depression, addiction and suicide - all of which run deep in my own family. But I'm afraid that at the moment, I just feel really sad. The world is so much poorer for having lost him.


16 comments :

  1. It's interesting. After all of the coverage of his death, your mention is the first one that has brought the tears out for me.When we lost Robin Williams, we did lose a very special person.

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    1. Very interesting indeed. I guess sometimes having no words is more powerful than having lots.

      I've gotta say though, that the pictures of people standing on their desks just have me sobbing each time I see one. Perhaps it's because the theme of that movie is so poignant in relation to his choice to end his own life.

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  2. Yeah, it's really sad. I went back and watched his episode of Louie this morning...got a little dusty in the room.

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    1. CatMan and I had just re-watched Dead Poet's Society a few weeks ago. It's just all so sad.

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  3. His death hit our family hard, too, with both depression and alcoholism in the family. It's a difficult thing to make sense of with my younger two kids. Brings out a lot of fears in my daughters.

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    1. The timing of it all was so ironic for me. I had just spent the day with my family for my dad's 80th birthday. It was the first time my dad had ever spoken about his step father's suicide (which happened when my dad was 15). Then to come home and find out that Robin Williams had taken his own life... it just hit me really hard.

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  4. Me too. I still can't believe it. He was always so funny, so vibrant! Definitely the last person I'd predict who would commit suicide. A local radio station featured a few of the interviews they'd done with him over the years and talked to some of his good friends in remembrance. It was nice to hear stories of how happy he made people in everyday life, and that's what I'm trying to focus on.

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    1. You know, it's funny, but I always sensed a real melancholy about Robin Williams - that was part of what I thought made him such an incredible actor. There was something about his smile that always looked to me a bit like he was holding back tears, though I always sorta assumed that was just a projection on my part. Maybe it wasn't.

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  5. RW was "otherworldly" in the best sort of way -- an intuitive, feeling, magical, genius. A warm person. I think, "Wow, what a gift that one person could bring so much joy, laughter, and happiness into the world!" I think of the great body of work he has left behind. It's just phenomenal. I suppose we all get a little "star struck" from time to time and when famous people die can tend toward the melodramatic, as if somehow their deaths mattered more. But wow... the happiness he left behind (even in this sad time). There's not enough of that to go around. That's why we'll miss him.

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    1. I know what you mean... he was one of those people that just oozed humanity from every pore of his body. Maybe that's why his death has touched us all so deeply - we can't help but feel our own humanity when confronted with his.

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  6. My boys and I have been in shock over Robin Williams' death. We loved his work, saw every movie he made, I think. One son has been trying to pick his favorite movie and can't do it. My boys have depression, mental health issues and suicide in their family starting with their dads so it gives them some perspective on how hard life was at times for Robin.

    I always believed he was truly sad deep down in a place no one could ever reach. I saw an interview with him where he talked about how he was raised by his nanny because his parents had him late in their lives and didn't have time for a child, there is no pain greater than believing you aren't loved or wanted by your parents.

    Great comedy often comes from deep pain, if that is tru in Robin's case ,the pain was tremendous.

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    1. "Great comedy often comes from deep pain" so sad, but so true, and that's what I always thought I saw in Robin Williams. The stuff about his parents is just heartbreaking. Heavy sigh.

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  7. I still remember my entire Sunday school class one morning putting on own version of Aladdin. The teacher was late, so we put on a show. Every one of us wanted to be the genie because Robin Williams brought him so much to life.

    My grandmother used to say, "money can't buy happiness, but it can buy you the kind of misery you can live with." After hearing about Robin's death, I'm not so sure I agree with her saying anymore.

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    1. I've never actually seen Aladdin - perhaps now would be a good time.

      You know, I think the cold hard truth is that there's just no easy way out when it comes to dealing with personal pain. You can try to buy your way out of it, or cover it up with alcohol or drugs, or distract yourself with gambling or other forms of addiction - but none of that deals with the real emotion, and eventually you have to confront it and allow yourself to really feel the pain, or else it destroys you from the inside out.

      I certainly don't have all the answers, and I'd never presume to fully understand someone else's experience. But I can say for myself that the further down the rabbit hole of my own personal pain that I'm willing to let myself go, the less I need to hide from it, and the less control it has over me.

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  8. Off subject, but have you heard from Connie, the Ecocatwoman, lately? I haven't, have been worried. Have been unable to reach her by e-mail and her last blog post is from months ago. Do you know anything? Thanks.

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  9. I agree, just horrible! I think this has affected so many people deeply.

    Thanks so much for stopping by to welcome me back to blog land, so good to see you are still here!

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