I’m in the middle of another piece but I feel like I need to say something about the death of Robin Williams. I took a few days to try and comprehend this so I wouldn’t be too emotional. You see, I suffer from mental illness and understand the struggles with dealing with it. For those who don’t suffer, it’s hard to get your head around the issue and to understand how it is for someone suffering.
I was on a lunch break at work in the cafeteria and logged into Facebook and saw a link shared by a friend. “Robin Williams dead, suspected suicide.” I was shocked and thought, "Nah, this can’t be true", but there were so many links, so many friends upset by this tragedy that I had to accept it. To say I was blown away would be an understatement. I couldn’t believe it. One of the funniest men of our age was dead and by suicide nonetheless.
Even here now writing this, I am welling up and getting emotional. I loved him like most of us did. He was there for me as a kid as I grew up. He taught me to laugh, to be brave and to value what I had. He showed me there was magic in the world and we must strive to find it.
I can’t do the man justice and would never even try to. I have loved most of his movies and felt he was better at dramatic roles in a way. My favourite roles were the ones where he became a little more human. He was a funny man but his ability to make you feel, to touch your heart was his greatest skill. His role in "Good Will Hunting" is absolutely fantastic. I love that scene where he shows Hunting that to really love someone is to take them at their worst and embrace them. Of course, like most others, I loved "Patch Adams", "Mrs. Doubtfire", "Good Morning Vietnam", "What dreams May Come". As Duckman mentioned, the "Whose Line is it Anyway?" special was a favourite of mine. His ability to think a 100 miles a second made Improvisation a natural to him and I remember that the other members had difficulty matching him on that occasion. I think Ryan Styles had the best success and it was awesome to watch the two comedians try and out best each other. It was probably Styles’ best performance and that was largely down to Williams’ forcing him to raise his game.
"What Dreams May Come" is probably my favourite because it was a bit different, very abstract, dealing with a man’s mission to find his wife. The story is a little disconcerting now considering what happened to Williams, but still a great story. Some would say "Dead Poets Society" would be their favourite and I will give respect to that. I was very young when I first saw that and probably didn’t appreciate the whole message of the movie. Maybe I will have to rewatch that one. But my favourite role would be the counsellor role he played in "Good Will Hunting". The movie is average until you put the Williams dynamic into it. The scenes he has totally steal the movie away from the young guys. One of the hardest things in counselling is getting into people’s heads. Williams’s character does this in a very thoughtful way. He plays a man who has lost a lot and in the process almost loses himself. He has been there and done that and imparts upon this kid, Will Hunting, that he really knows nothing at all. Williams makes you feel for his character.
Putting the movies aside and all the work he has done in comedy, televison (who can forget Mork?) and in charity, the worst part is the fact that he killed himself. That part hurts the most. I have been listening to a song called "Stay With Me" by Sam Smith. The chorus: “Stay with me, because you're all I need.” Sung by a full compliment of a choir just resonates with the feeling we have. I just wish he could’ve in that moment realised that the love that so many people had for him and the love of his family was more than enough to find the light in the darkness.
I will cherish his memory and rewatch his iconic movies and maybe find that episode of "Whose Line is it Anyway?", because the best way to honour this man is to let him make us laugh again and again.
Duckman spoke of getting help if you need it. If you need to talk to someone, do so. Don’t let the darkness overcome you. If you need to talk, message me or Duckman. We’ll be happy to help in any way we can. Remember, when someone ends their life in this way, we all lose.
Another thing, some people call suicide cowardly. This is a lie and I will not stand for that kind of talk. People dealing with depression are fighting a battle with life and sometimes they lose. These people are heroes and should be supported not slandered.
That’s all I’m going to say. I hope it’s enough. If it isn’t, well I have no more words left in me and I think I’ve said what I needed to say, so I’ll leave it at that. I hope you all appreciate life for the marvel it is. Take the time to look at a tree, to hug a loved one, maybe give your mom a call and tell her how much you love her, eh? Because you just never know what can happen.
-Weasel-
I was on a lunch break at work in the cafeteria and logged into Facebook and saw a link shared by a friend. “Robin Williams dead, suspected suicide.” I was shocked and thought, "Nah, this can’t be true", but there were so many links, so many friends upset by this tragedy that I had to accept it. To say I was blown away would be an understatement. I couldn’t believe it. One of the funniest men of our age was dead and by suicide nonetheless.
Even here now writing this, I am welling up and getting emotional. I loved him like most of us did. He was there for me as a kid as I grew up. He taught me to laugh, to be brave and to value what I had. He showed me there was magic in the world and we must strive to find it.
I can’t do the man justice and would never even try to. I have loved most of his movies and felt he was better at dramatic roles in a way. My favourite roles were the ones where he became a little more human. He was a funny man but his ability to make you feel, to touch your heart was his greatest skill. His role in "Good Will Hunting" is absolutely fantastic. I love that scene where he shows Hunting that to really love someone is to take them at their worst and embrace them. Of course, like most others, I loved "Patch Adams", "Mrs. Doubtfire", "Good Morning Vietnam", "What dreams May Come". As Duckman mentioned, the "Whose Line is it Anyway?" special was a favourite of mine. His ability to think a 100 miles a second made Improvisation a natural to him and I remember that the other members had difficulty matching him on that occasion. I think Ryan Styles had the best success and it was awesome to watch the two comedians try and out best each other. It was probably Styles’ best performance and that was largely down to Williams’ forcing him to raise his game.
"What Dreams May Come" is probably my favourite because it was a bit different, very abstract, dealing with a man’s mission to find his wife. The story is a little disconcerting now considering what happened to Williams, but still a great story. Some would say "Dead Poets Society" would be their favourite and I will give respect to that. I was very young when I first saw that and probably didn’t appreciate the whole message of the movie. Maybe I will have to rewatch that one. But my favourite role would be the counsellor role he played in "Good Will Hunting". The movie is average until you put the Williams dynamic into it. The scenes he has totally steal the movie away from the young guys. One of the hardest things in counselling is getting into people’s heads. Williams’s character does this in a very thoughtful way. He plays a man who has lost a lot and in the process almost loses himself. He has been there and done that and imparts upon this kid, Will Hunting, that he really knows nothing at all. Williams makes you feel for his character.
Putting the movies aside and all the work he has done in comedy, televison (who can forget Mork?) and in charity, the worst part is the fact that he killed himself. That part hurts the most. I have been listening to a song called "Stay With Me" by Sam Smith. The chorus: “Stay with me, because you're all I need.” Sung by a full compliment of a choir just resonates with the feeling we have. I just wish he could’ve in that moment realised that the love that so many people had for him and the love of his family was more than enough to find the light in the darkness.
I will cherish his memory and rewatch his iconic movies and maybe find that episode of "Whose Line is it Anyway?", because the best way to honour this man is to let him make us laugh again and again.
Duckman spoke of getting help if you need it. If you need to talk to someone, do so. Don’t let the darkness overcome you. If you need to talk, message me or Duckman. We’ll be happy to help in any way we can. Remember, when someone ends their life in this way, we all lose.
Another thing, some people call suicide cowardly. This is a lie and I will not stand for that kind of talk. People dealing with depression are fighting a battle with life and sometimes they lose. These people are heroes and should be supported not slandered.
That’s all I’m going to say. I hope it’s enough. If it isn’t, well I have no more words left in me and I think I’ve said what I needed to say, so I’ll leave it at that. I hope you all appreciate life for the marvel it is. Take the time to look at a tree, to hug a loved one, maybe give your mom a call and tell her how much you love her, eh? Because you just never know what can happen.
-Weasel-