The King is dead… Long live the King.

Unless you live under a rock or are a die hard “un-fan”, you have probably already heard that Robin Williams passed away today.

…Actually

Allow me, if I may, to tell it like it is… In My opinion!

Robin Williams Died today. The cause was an apparent “suicide due to asphyxia, but a comprehensive investigation must be completed before a final determination is made”, quoted from an article by Tony Maglio of “The Wrap”.

To me, the act of “Passing away” sounds more like going to the great beyond due to a natural cause or causes rather than something un-natural like murder, an accident, or suicide. In this case: He died! He killed himself! To me… there’s a difference.

Please understand:

I have been and always will be a great fan of him and his work. But I find myself irritated at the circumstances under which the world has lost this man, not at the man himself. I am angry that a man who could so effortlessly make the world laugh and feel good, and who upon many occasions helped me to see the world in a slightly better light, could not see that his own life was worth living another day. How someone who could make the world laugh so easily, and could at the same time be so distraught and hopeless about his own existence is a sad revelation into a man’s life.

They say he had been dealing with depression for quite some time and ultimately it is probably this that will prove to be the chief contributor to his end.

Even if you are not a fan, one can’t help but look back at the diverse catalogue of his accomplishments and realize that here stood a master in the art of entertainment. His roles in movies, television and the stage has been as varied and complex as he obviously was as a person. He was capable of making people laugh so hard they could not breathe, which is probably what he was best known for. Yet anyone who really knew his work also knew that he was capable of so much more. His work was both funny, and thought provoking, disjointed and scattered, streaming in all directions at once and yet focused and directed.

Like others who were masters in their art, his likes will never be seen again.

As usual, I tend to see issues like this and possibly over think the situation. I can’t help but to reflect on this as it applies to, well, the rest of us he left behind.

I see a man who was successful, well liked, and I assume wealthy enough to live his life as he pleased. Here was a man who could look back at a life full of the kind of accomplishments most only dream of, and who had the talent to write his own ticket for possibly many more years to come. Yes, he had been married three times. He struggled with substance addiction and depression which suggests some struggle and hardships. But to me, it seems like he surly must have had much more to live for than to die for. He had his art and his talent. He had the hope of many years to come and all the possibilities therein. He was married and had three children who I assume loved and cared for him very much.

He had all this, and yet somehow it was still not enough. Somehow, the cold unknown of death was more appealing than the life he had been given. It makes me wonder; what does it really take to be happy in this world.

It’s easy as a fan with a blog to sit out here and judge; to speculate and assume to know enough to form an opinion about a man I never really knew other than what I read or saw on the screen. But if a man who seemed to have it all couldn’t find true happiness in spite of all he had and all he had accomplished, what hope is there for all of us who only dream of a life like that. What hope is there for all of us who have to somehow find happiness without that kind of life?

I guess it only goes to show that true happiness cannot be found in what you have or what you have accomplished. It goes to show that you can be surrounded by family and loved ones and friends, and yet still feel alone. You can appear to “have it all”, and yet still feel like you have nothing.

Depression is real. It can be a tangible and powerful force to be reckoned with in a person’s life. The loss of Robin Williams is a tragedy, especially under such circumstances. But this situation is not an isolated incident. From the web site “ScienceDaily.com”:

“At its most severe depression can lead to suicide and is responsible for 850,000 deaths every year.”

It happens all too often in all walks of life, not just to those who are headline worthy.

There are tools that one can use to assist themselves through such a difficult time. There are medications and therapy. There are support groups and yes, I even believe in the power of prayer -I especially believe in this. However, in the end it’s our choice; it’s up to us as individuals to decide if our lives are worth it or not.

No matter how much money or fame, no matter the accomplishments or awards, no matter if you are surrounded by loved ones or alone… If you don’t believe your life is worth it, then to you, it’s not –even if it does have value to others.

I wish his family and friends the very best during these hard times. I pray that his wife and children do not take this personally or feel it is their fault. I pray that they may all remember that there is nothing more precious or valuable than the very life that God gave them –I pray that we all remember this. Give them strength to live beyond these difficult times to come.

The world will miss Robin Williams…

“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race and the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, “O me! O life!… of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless… of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?” Answer: that you are here; that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse;

…that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse.

What will your verse be?”

Robin Williams… Dead Poets Society, 1989

 

Let your verse be filled with life. Let it be a life filled with all that a life is supposed to have. Let it have pain and pleasure, sadness and joy, boredom and adventure. Let it have frustration, and fulfillment, a little darkness, and a lot of enlightenment. Allow yourself to suffer the hurt of loss and disappointment so that you may experience the thrill of rising up again when your life takes another positive turn.

For you cannot truly experience happiness until you have had sadness to compare it to.

And let your life be filled with love; love of family and friends and of life itself and all the paradoxes that makes it the wonder that it is.

Thank you Robin…  My life is a little bit better for knowing you.