As I came to the home stretch of my morning walk, I stopped to pick up the NY Post and was blindsided by the headline: “ROBIN WILLIAMS DEAD,” and the caption: “Actor, 63, in suicide.” My eyes glazed. He brought so much joy to the world but not enough to himself. He battled addiction on and off for decades. Despite it, he turned out marvelous work, growing from manic comic to serious actor. He was even cast by Kenneth Branagh in the small role of Osric in his 1996 production of Hamlet. He was nominated for an Oscar four times, winning Best Supporting Actor for Good Will Hunting (1998). He won 54 other awards. I always looked forward to his appearance on talk shows, where he churned out hilarious content that seemed spontaneous, his mind in overdrive. Although he was an opponent of the Iraq War, he entertained troops there several times. He completed four projects that have yet to be released. He had a lot left to offer. For whatever reasons, his demons got the better of him. The most troubling aspect is wondering what damage this has done to his three children, who are young adults. Here are two quotes from him, listed at IMDb, that illustrate his struggle:
“Cocaine is God's way of telling you you are making too much money.”
“...And now that you have a child you have to clean up your act, 'cause you can't drink anymore. You can't come home drunk and go, ‘Hey, here's a little switch: Daddy's gonna throw up on you!’”
RIP, sir. May you find peace on the other side. And thank you.
The world stops for no one, not even major stars. A blurb in the Post mentions a new item that will be included in gift bags at the Oscars -- The Haze Vaporizer, a device for inhaling herbs, especially of a certain sort. It lists for $249.
And in what New Yorker's pray is not a permanent sign of the times, the Post reports that the elite Emergency Service Unit has been ordered to drive around the most troubled neighborhoods at night with lights flashing in order to stem the rising crime rate. The members receive overtime.
The weather cooperated until nearly two PM, allowing the floating book shop to reap a small gain. My thanks to the young lady who purchased a book on healthy eating, the gentleman who bought a book in Russian, and to Estelle, Caroline and the Fed-Ex Guy, who donated seven books between them.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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