Today, I'd originally planned to tell everyone that registration for the City of Ottawa programs starts tomorrow night. But that got overshadowed by this morning's news that Robin Williams committed suicide yesterday.
I've been in awe of Robin Williams for my entire life. My parents thought he was hilarious (and oddly child appropriate, I guess, since I got to see a lot of his work and comedy concerts growing up). I started off with Mork and Mindy, can recite huge chunks of Good Morning, Vietnam and watched Comic Relief just about every year.
He seemed like a force of nature, unstoppable and unfathomable. His mind worked faster than anyone else's that I'd ever seen. When he came to Inside The Actor's Studio, it was amazing. I envied everyone who got to be there. I agreed with Billy Crystal when the man said that he (Billy Crystal) was a pretty funny guy and pretty smart and sometimes he came in and thought he would be able to match Robin. But instead, Robin just sailed past him, even on an off day.
I cannot recall what book it came from, but there was a description of the rare people in the world who bring their own light wherever they go. Robin Williams was one of those people. I feel sad wondering if it was because he felt like he had to be "on" all the time but I think he genuinely loved making people laugh and making them feel just a little bit happier than before.
He was honest about his battles with drugs and alcohol. There were always hints of the terrifying darkness he felt and the neverending battle he fought against it. Sometimes it always seems this way. In order to balance the light, the darkness must be terrible.
In Babylon 5, the Gray Council is described as those who stand between the darkness and the light, between the candle and the star. I think he was one of those people, but he was standing between his own darkness and the rest of us. And unfortunately, the darkness claimed him.
So this morning, the world woke up a little darker, without his star to brighten our skies. It's sad. It's horrible. We'll all go on, of course. But there's no denying the loss to us all.
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