Robin Williams: Tears Of A Clown
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I know it’s been a short while since Robin Williams passed away but I have the urge to say something anyway. He suffered from depression. Depression can be extremely debilitating to sufferers although, often, few, if any, know that their friend / husband / wife etc are actually suffering.
Having suffered since my teenage years – albeit I had no idea I had depression until much later in life – I have discovered that many sufferers react to their depression as I did even without realising they have it in the first place. Humour, laughter and being ‘the life and soul of the party’.
Often the ‘humour’ can be quite ‘manic’ and, sometimes, the humour can occur at singularly inappropriate moments.
Whilst attending a cremation of my wife’s friends husband, the widow chose to have his favourite song played as the coffin went through the curtains. The song in question was Take That’s ‘Relight My Fire’ (well there’s no accounting for taste eh?) and, as he was about to be cremated the song choice gave me an uncontrollable fit of the giggles.
As the deceased’s friends and relatives shed tears of sorrow I shed tears of laughter much to the dismay of my wife who kept digging me in the ribs to be quiet, which only served to increase my mirth.
I mean to say! Come on! ‘Relight My Fire’ at a cremation? What did anyone expect? They all knew me and roaring in the aisles with laughter was the only way I would ever react to something like this. Dignity and decorum from me? Good grief. There’s more chance of me flying to Mars tomorrow.
Robin Williams’ humour tended to often be somewhat on the manic side in my opinion. I saw him do ‘stand-up’ on TV and laughed until my stomach hurt. I loved him in Mork and Mindy. Apparently he got the part at audition by walking into the auditioning room, standing on his head on the sofa and saying ‘Nanu Nanu’. Well, that’s the legend anyway, and true or not the tale is apocryphal.
At my own father’s funeral my Uncle Cyril’s artificial leg fell off and into my father’s grave. As my mother, the priest and the other mourners looked on in horror as my Uncle Cyril fell over sans left leg I had hysterics. I laughed all the way to the wake – much to my mother’s disgust – and, picturing the glorious moment when the leg went in, continued to giggle until well on into the night.
As my family wept on being told the facts about my Great Aunt’s demise I laughed until my sides ached. Apparently she believed her goldfish was dead and attempted to flush it down the toilet. The sudden movement from goldfish bowl to toilet bowl must have woke up the previously inert goldfish and the shock of seeing her goldfish resurrected before her eyes and start swimming around the toilet bowl was too much for my Great Aunt and she had a huge heart attack brought on by the shock and died with her head down the toilet bowl.
Even now, typing this, I can’t stop giggling at the picture in my head.
The goldfish, incidentally, lived happily on for a further 6 years in a tank in my bedroom.
A tragic family death causing grief and sadness to my family but causing me much mirth.
You have to admit, it is a rather bizarre way to go eh?
I was oft told I had ‘no respect’ and am still oft told this. I probably haven’t but I’m more inclined to think my ‘defence mechanisms’ against the depression that always lurks somewhere in the dark deep recesses of what passes for my mind kick in when they sense the loss of a much loved father and Great Aunt may lead me nearer to the precipice.
Apparently Robin Williams had the early onset of Parkinsons which, I am sure, troubled him but there was still much time to enjoy life so why not wait until the Parkinsons started to become a serious problem? Why not wait until hope was gone? Why end your own life when there was so much of it left to enjoy?
We’ll never know the answer to that.
When the depression wins it wins.
So, oh depressed ones, keep laughing. Laugh when you feel the urge and need to laugh. Laugh at a funeral if something you think funny happens. Laugh at someone’s death if you find it comical. Of course, you’ll be accused of having no respect but no matter. The laughter will keep you winning and the depression at bay.
Be a clown. It helps.
Budweiser can prove quite useful too 😉
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I met him once, at a bike shop near his house, when I had to go in to have a puncture fixed on a bike ride I was doing with friends from his area. Nicest man ever and you would never have known what a huge star he was, seemed way down to earth and someone you would love to have as a friend. I have laughed till I peed myself, I know TMI, with some of his stand up routines. His loss is one of those you will feel forever, same with Lauren Bacall I idolized that woman. She was my spirit animal.
Pretty much everyone interviewed said ‘Robin Williams was a great normal guy’ and – given his fame and so forth – that, in itself, speaks volumes of the man.
I’m sad, your sad we’re all sad but let’s laugh again at what he has left behind eh?
Have you read ‘By Myself’? Lauren Bacall’s autobiography. The chapter were Bogie dies will make you cry or you aren’t human. Smashing book.
I am very deeply saddened by the death of Robin Williams. The world has truly lost one of the most wonderful individuals to ever walked this Earth.
In 2011, I saw Robin Williams on stage on Broadway, in the show BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO. It was a wonderful show and well worth the time and effort it was for me to take a train from Philadelphia where I live to New York City. I was very fortunate to have seen Robin on stage this one time, because most people were not even this lucky enough to have ever seen him in person, at all.
I think our American flag should be flying at half-mast all across America, in mourning the passing away of Robin Williams.
R.I.P. dear Robin Williams.
I agree with that Ross. Robin Williams brought joy to millions and flags should fly at half-staff.
Half mast flags? I know he was a very special guy in terms of the joy he brought but, given the number of lately deceased in that category the bloody flags would forever be at half mast!
Let’s not deify Robin Williams eh? I doubt he’d appreciate that actually – although it would give him some new material I suspect.
He was a bloke. A very funny bloke who made us laugh. Remember him that way.
erm…well…yes…quite…um…I liked him too…A lot actually.
No idea how wonderful he was in reality of course but I’ll tek yer word for it old bean.