UP Beauty Online
Robin Williams took his life on
August 12th. As for the reasons, that will be debated for lifetimes
as one of the funniest, zaniest men on our planet ended his time with us and
will be missed greatly. The question that remains, seemingly suspended in our
waves of sorrow, is how could a man that made so many laugh and howl, and even
cry, subsequently feeling better about themselves, how could this comedic
genius feel so alone and desolate as to voluntarily leave this world?
Maybe he lost his spark. We now know more and more about his documented
struggles with drug and alcohol addiction seemingly in response to a condition
of recurring deep depression. I guess only Robin knows the undocumented ones.
We’ll all have our theories on why Robin, sadly for us, bailed on his life.
This quote fuels my theory. It’s now clear what’s to blame - damn Okra.
“Okra is the closest thing to nylon I've ever eaten. It's
like they bred cotton with a green bean. Okra, tastes like snot. The more you
cook it, the more it turns into string.”
A Genuine, Generous Soul
Amongst
his star studded colleagues, words like kind, compassionate, genuine, caring,
real, inspiring, generous, unstoppable energy poured from their lips when asked
to comment on Robin’s impact on them and his legacy after his sudden passing.
It
makes one wonder, if he could make the best of the best feel this way and had
that kind of power and impact on the world at large, what happened when the
cameras weren’t rolling and the room was empty that caused him such angst and
hopelessness.
“Reality is just a crutch
for people who can't cope with drugs.”
After several stints in rehab, maybe reality
was just too much. They say that genius is just an instant away from madness.
And drugs and alcohol, done in addictive fashion, can damage and affect the
brain in the specific areas of forethought, empathy and impulse control. Or
maybe he left us prematurely simply because he was a man.
“See, the problem is that God gave men a brain and a penis, and only enough
blood to run one at a time."
Had Robin, which is of course one of those,
‘can go either way’ names, just stayed in the Mrs. Doubtfire character as a
proper Scottish nanny, perhaps he would still be with us. Naw, it probably wouldn’t
have mattered.
“If women ran the world we wouldn't have wars, just
intense negotiations every 28 days. A woman would never make a
nuclear bomb. They would never make a weapon that kills. But they’d make a weapon
that makes you feel bad for a while."
Look Better, Feel Better, Live
Better
I hope it’s evident that my rudimentary attempts at humor are in honor
of Robin Williams, and not in disrespect to him in any way. If one can possibly
love another that they know not at all but through stage and screen, then I
loved Robin Williams.
His death shines a light on the need for open hearts and compassion, on
keeping an eye out for how we might lend a listening ear or words of
encouragement, never knowing, even when someone seems to have it all together,
successful and funny on the outside, that they may be suffering immeasurably on
the inside. And on the value of life and the importance of seeking help, of
never giving up, of understanding how the light in each of us helps our world
shine brightly.
PS: One of Robin’s calling cards, and perhaps my favorite trait, was his audacious disregard for boundaries. He always colored outside the lines. What is your fav personality quirk of Robin Williams?
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