No outrage here, everyone.
This isn’t one of those articles.
This is my goodbye to one of my favorite artists since Michael Jackson, my greatest inspiration, passed away.
I’m talking, of course, about Robin Williams.
You really don’t know how much an artist means to you until they’re gone. The way they go doesn’t matter much…though in this case it was a particular shock to me, simply because I wasn’t aware that his struggle with depression as greater than his struggle with substance abuse. My ignorance aimed to be in good taste: I didn’t want to snoop into the personal life of the man. All I knew came about by accident.
Now that I know, I understand. I understand that it was, at worst, his mental illness overcoming his strength to fight it for decades. At best, it was his way to bring attention to an issue that society still struggles to wrap its mind around.
In either case, I respect him enough to not judge. I’m saddened that he didn’t have what he needed to live through his struggles. I’m proud of him for rocking 63 years and changing the world despite his struggle in a way I as a fellow artist can only dream of.
Most of all, I choose not to give attention to Fox News or online scammers or anyone else trying to use his death for distasteful and dishonorable reasons. Let’s not lose sight of what’s important here. They’re just distractions.
I will mourn him. As I write this, I’m close to tears. I feel like I lost a friend. I only wish I was part of your life so that maybe I could’ve had the opportunity to try to help.
He wasn’t just a celebrity. He was an artist in the truest sense, and we all have some mourning to do.
It will take a while until the world is anywhere close to as bright as it was with his presence, and even then, it will not be the same.
Much love,
Zen Politics
“I will miss you, Genie… (to Robin Williams)” – Published August 12, 2014
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