Ain’t Never Had a Friend Like You!

Now I realize that many people are posting about the shocking passing of Robin Williams. I am sorry to say that I am going to be another one of those people. Mostly because I am really disgusted by all the negativity I have seen regarding it and I feel the need to share my thoughts in order to hopefully convert at least one negative nancy and make them see why we are all devastated over the loss of this comic genius.

As a kid growing up, Disney was of course my movie of choice. Aladdin was a movie I probably watched 5,000 times over. The Genie was absolutely one of the best characters. Ever since I heard the news that Robin Williams passed I can not get the song “Friend Like Me” out of my head. Honestly, from everything I have read about him, I truly believe those that were blessed enough to be his friend really never had a friend like him nor will they ever again.

What people seem to be forgetting is that he was such a generous man. There are stories from starting out stand up comics, cancer patients and fellow comedians that all agree he was one of the nicest (and funniest) men on earth. All people seem to be focusing on is that he took his own life. I have heard comments like “who cares?”, “he was selfish”, “must’ve been his marriage” and so many other insensitive remarks. But the fact is he openly struggled with addiction and depression. Ultimately that is what took his life, he did not take his own.

As someone who has dealt with depression I can tell you that logic is not a large factor. Often you feel emotions so strong and overwhelming that whether or not they are logical really does not seem relevant. The fact is you feel so alone and so powerless to these emotions that it becomes hard to see past them. It becomes hard to think of anything other than finding a way out.

It’s so hard to see that a man that had such a powerful impact on so many lives could not overcome the pain. I would like to share a few things he taught me:

1) In Aladdin he taught me that sometimes being a friend can be one of the most important jobs of all. Without the Genie Aladdin would have never completed his task;

2) In Goodwill Hunting he taught me that love is what matters at the end of the day. Until you have felt true love you have never really lived.

3) In Flubber he taught me to never give up. His character ran in to many problems but he ultimately succeeded.

Each character he portrayed had a good moral message along with lots of laughs. I feel he put a little of himself in to each character which made them easier to relate to.

Recently my boyfriend and I went to find the bench Robin Williams and Matt Damon had a chat on in Goodwill Hunting. While we are not sure we found the correct bench we found the location. I took a picture from one of the benches:

Now my goal is to return there to see the memorial that his fans have set up for him there. I am sure it is a sight to see.

Lastly, I want to say to his daughter Zelda, do not listen to the hateful comments of the inter-webs. These are what I like to call trolls. They do not know your father and they are making wild assumptions and accusations based on media hype that they don’t care to understand. Your father touched me through his movies just as he did so many other people. That is what you need to remember. Do not let the negative people get a hold of you. Do not let them win!

To my blogging buddies, I would love to hear some of the ways Robin Williams touched your life. Please share in the comments below!