To One Who Made Us Laugh…
In the days
ahead, we will mourn Robin Williams, and we will endure the sordid details of
his final days. Sure, we can get angry
that he’s gone and some may even be imprudent to say he still owed us
something. HA! He gave all he could and then he gave more.
And which
one of his gifts will we remember him by? Wow, where shall we start?
As Mork, or
earlier on a short-lived revival of Laugh-In (1977)? In one blackout gag, he played a human size
lab rat peering from inside a giant cage and wondered aloud, “Wow,
reality! What a concept!” That was probably his catch phrase from his
stand-up days; it was later used as the title of his first comedy album.
Or the
serious side in The World According to Garp; Moscow on the Hudson; Good
Morning Vietnam; The Fisher King; Awakenings; Dead Poets Society” ("O Captain! My captain…", or so Whitman
wrote) and his Oscar-winning performance in Good Will Hunting.
Or the zany
improvisational performances from Mrs. Doubtfire or Aladdin?
Or the understated character actor that graced The Birdcage?
Or the
priceless one-of-a-kind performances for Comic Relief, the charity raising
awareness for America’s homeless, even as he tweaked the nose of the Reagan administration's aloofness for the common citizen?
We may cry
now, but our memories of him will bring back a smile. And we will laugh again.
Rest in
Peace, Mr. Williams.
(Thank you
for reading. “Nanu, nanu!”)
posted by todd gunther | 6:49 AM
7 Comments:
Nicely said.
I'd like to echo, humbly, all that you say. Nothing really to add.
Nice tribute to Robin! He was really a wonderful, gracious, talented man! It is so sad that his battle with depression ended this way. My friend Cheri who did his makeup for many years lost a very good friend and is devastated, and we all lost a little part of ourselves. We will all miss him and I too, hope he is finally resting in peace!
I liked him best in Baron Munchousen.
How can such a talent so great be taken away by a depression so deep, when those around him lost vigilance ???
I am saddened that because he held all our hands, we were not holding his.
and NO, NO, NO, . . . Robin Williams is NOT in a better place.
Robin blessed us. His death is very unfortunate for us. I wish to honor him by holding the gifts and laughter in my heart and not judging him, the circumstances or where he now is.
Thank you all for your thoughts.
It is best to remember him with his work, and not his end. Including the very bizarre Baron Munchasen.
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