August 12
2014
A Poetic Reflection on Robin Williams’ Death
Robin Williams (1951-2014)
Another sad and tragic case
Of outward smiles and funny face
Hiding a pain no one could hear
Over the laughter, praise and cheers
Two times divorced would take their toll
Depression, drugs and alcohol
He slipped into a darker hole
He’d gained the world but lost his soul
But wipe away the comic mask
And deeper questions there you’ll ask
Is what this world will call “success”
Enough to cover up our mess?
The crowd’s applause his talent brought
His breathless death has now made naught
He has escaped only to run
Before an audience of One
Farewell Robin, you made me laugh
But now I’ll weep on your behalf
(2609)
Is there a name for the loss of an object of envy?
Not sure, but I don’t know why someone would envy Robin Williams. His story is filled with grief and loss and guilt and addiction.
He had emmense wealth and success which may have blinded him to his need for a Saviour, and his story on this planet ended in suicide, placing him before a Lord that he was thoroughly unprepared to meet.
Like my blog about the death of Steve Jobs, I have only sadness rather than envy.
https://simoncamilleri.com/iwaste-a-reflection-on-steve-jobs/
Yeah well the suicide is why the envy is lost. And its an event that brought to my awareness his other issues which is also why the envy is lost. I don’t follow celebrity lives so all I knew about was the drugs from his stand up. If he had of died in a volcano I’d probably still be unaware.
Also I never envied his money but his comedic timing.
Steve Jobs on the other hand was never someone I admired. Apple is a poo bum company human rights wise.
One of the things I always noticed is in his acceptance speeches for awards how he always thanked his wife most of all, with a deep sense of gratitude and even sadness.
See here for an example: http://youtu.be/MfgXCNMEkWs
I looked into it and found he had been married three times and some of his marriages ending due to his adultery and alcohol abuse. It was very sad and a great reminder that outward appearances of success are not all they’re cracked up to be. I think behind the scenes he was quite a sad man.
As one interviewer remarked:
“My worry beforehand had been that Williams would be too wildly manic to make much sense. When he appeared on the Jonathan Ross show earlier this summer, he’d been vintage Williams – hyperactive to the point of deranged, ricocheting between voices, riffing off his internal dialogues. Off-camera, however, he is a different kettle of fish. His bearing is intensely Zen and almost mournful, and when he’s not putting on voices he speaks in a low, tremulous baritone – as if on the verge of tears – that would work very well if he were delivering a funeral eulogy. He seems gentle and kind – even tender – but the overwhelming impression is one of sadness.”
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/sep/20/robin-williams-worlds-greatest-dad-alcohol-drugs