Goodnight Vietnam

theguardian.com/commentisfre … oken-world
What a fragile species we are. How many Robin Williams’, do we pass on the street each day without realizing it?

Bon Voyage Robin

A man who made so many people laugh, but who left so many in tears.

Sad he died. Sadder still because he didn’t “need” to die.

Really like the clip below (despite it being an ad).

A terrible and beautiful resonance…“these are what we stay alive for”.

t.co/dOehOeFuoI

15 minutes of deleting my inadequate use words to express my thoughts. I guess I’m not ready to talk about this.

Which I think says as much as can be said considering I never met the man in person.

It breaks my heart that someone who brought so much laughter into this world suffered so much.

I’ll never again see that blue genie, or that army radio host, nor the homeless knight errant in the same light again. The prep school teacher, the desperate cross-dressing father, the cabaret owner… they all brought the laughter I expected, and the quiet moments of gravitas I wasn’t, but now? Now I cant see any of them without feeling the absence of Robin. It’s like I’ve lost my hilarious uncle.

This.

Thank you for making it clear.

When times are darkest, it’s hard to believe that the light will return. From what I have read, it seems that Robin Williams reached a point where he no longer believed the light would come. It happens daily, but to see it in one so famously full of energy and life hits hard.

For anyone reading who feels trapped in the darkness of depression, please speak to someone, anyone: a doctor, psychologist, counsellor, family member or trusted friend. Know that it doesn’t need to be like that this and the pain does recede. There is help available. People do care.

If you know someone you suspect is struggling with depression, but don’t know what to do, consider calling them just to ask how they are. Invite them out for a walk, a coffee, a talk, a movie. Let them know you care.

In Australia there are organisations like BeyondBlue for information and resources. For direct support there are organisations like LifeLine and KidsHelpLine for support amongst others. I know that other countries have equivalents.

To Robin Williams—a comedic genius, actor of enormous range and startling originality, a father, a husband, a friend to many and an inspiration to millions—I say, rest in peace. We wish you had stayed a little longer to experience the return of the love you shared with the world.

Like John Keating did:
youtube.com/watch?v=U91Wl2YpkD8
youtube.com/watch?v=vdXhWS7lLvs

Well said Nom. :wink:

Took off a couple hours this morning, tracked down The Fisher King. Often happens that favorite old films – even more so than novels – lose luster as they age, or perhaps as I age. This one did not. It was even better than remembered. It always seemed that, of all his films, this best captured who he was, what he could do. Cannot imagine anyone else in that role.

Apple itself has a tribute. http://www.apple.com/remembering-robin-williams/

It was such a shame to hear the news. Robin Williams won the hearts of fans across many generations. I will miss him.

Sadly, this also debunks my suspicions that Vic-k and Robin Williams were the same person.

Careful young 'n!! Careful!! :open_mouth:

That would have been AMAZING!

But I’ve met Mr K in person. And though I haven’t met Mr W I can tell you that the world is much better having had both of them existing as separate entities. Could you imagine them both in the room at the same time?

What? Too soon?

I wouldn’t be able to breathe from all the joy and laughter. :smiley:

Pushing the envelope a bit, aren’t y’?

So you’ve gorra bad chest too, eh, young 'n?

Nom, I appreciate your words above. Thank you.

As one who has battled depression for decades, this is close to home. I had actually written a blog post when I flying to Chicago the day before Robin Williams committed suicide. The title of my article was “Depression-seeking help.” Then on Aug 13, I stayed in the home of a couple. He has severe depression. We talked long about all that, very timely. But I didn’t expect to deal with it all in the same week.

Still too close to home in many ways. Certainly sad.

Thanks for the kind words. Glad that you were able to talk with your host at a time that may have been difficult. From what I understand (from a distance) the reporting of Robin Williams’s death was far more detailed and graphic in the USA than here*. Although troubling for anyone, for those whose thoughts get pulled that way like a morbid magnet, the extra detail can be incredibly confronting (and, sadly for some, simultaneously enticing).

If it’s not too much to ask, would you mind sharing a link to your blog post?

[size=85]*In Australia, the media abide by a code of conduct (which, to their rare credit, is both voluntary and upheld) that recommends that when death by suicide is reported, no details regarding the method of death be disclosed.[/size]

This is the one I mentioned above.

Depression—Seeking Help

Here are some of the more important ones to get a context (our struggles with our son over the past 36 years, and that he has been missing at times up to ten years.

Too close, Too Hurtful, Too Important

Prayer—”But not that!”

The ugliness of the missing

==============

Depression—a pleasant surprise
(This one has links to several other posts)

God hears, remembers, knows

Ministry in the trenches

And my latest from early this morning:

Depression, humor, truth

Thanks for your interest.

Thanks exegete, I read all of the posts and even watched the YouTube videos.

One of the things that struck me, long before I retrained in psychology, was how alone people feel with their struggles with any condition that affects their mental health. That, and the moral judgement that they fear (sometimes legitimately, more often not) will follow. Which, of course, compounds the struggle. I experienced it and I see it in my clients now.

However, I also see how common it truly is. Not just in my clients (as a psychologist, I have a biased sample) but because I also know the population statistics. Fully one half of the population will experience at least one episode of a diagnosable mental health condition. One half! So we all know people who have struggled, or are still struggling, to maintain their mental health and sometimes doing so against extraordinary pressures. And with almost all of those people, we will not know of their struggle - it is their guilty secret.

So I applaud you: generously and loudly.
Show your wounds to the world, and let the world see how accepting help, through therapy and faith, has helped. Give hope to those who cannot find it on their own.

Let us all remind the potential Robin Williams of the world that there is hope, they are not alone, people do care and that, despite the pain, things do get better.