Heartbroken by Gerri Grousseau

This week we had quite a shock over the death of Robin Williams. At first I was sad, but the more I thought about it, the more heartbroken I became. I didn’t realize he suffered from depression. I always thought of him as a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, but that was the mask he wore. It was difficult to realize that a man that made so many people laugh and brought such a light into our lives could be in such a dark place that he could take his own life.

He created so many memorable roles that it’s difficult to even list them. I would say my favorite was one, but then I think of another, and yet another. Who could forget him as Mrs. Doubtfire, or the Genie in Aladdin, a perfect role for someone as quick witted as he, or his roles in Dead Poet’s Society, or Good Will Hunting (for which he won an Oscar).

I can relate to some extent to depression. I have had periods in my life when I have gone through times that I didn’t want to be around anyone, when all I wanted to do was sleep, when nothing interested me. Periods when I wanted nothing more than to sit in my chair, curled up in my blanket and zone out watching mindless television programs or old movies. But never once during those times did I contemplate taking my life. I cannot imagine the place Robin Williams was in.

I see the clips now on TV of him entertaining the troops or ad-libbing on talk shows and I can’t help but notice the sheer joy radiating from him when he was doing what he loved – making us laugh. His eyes twinkled with his smile and I couldn’t help but smile as well.

This made me think about my own life. I think everyone gets blue from time-to-time. I know I do. Most recently while writing a new book, and after only getting through the first third of it, I got invited to participate in a project that had me temporarily put that work-in-progress on the back burner to work on a quick project. The new project is fast writing that has a rapidly approaching deadline. I sit in my chair and type furiously, the words pouring out quickly. It seems that as the word count on this increases the faster the words seem to flow. I noticed that when I’m doing this, I’m completely energized and happy because I’m doing what it is I love to do.

I heard an entertainer comment on the death of Robin Williams saying that depression is common among entertainers. But I don’t think it’s restricted. If you know someone who appears to be more quite than usual, more withdrawn, or that you haven’t heard from in a while, reach out to them. Give them a call, shoot over a quick email or text them. The impact of that simple gesture could make a difference.

Filed under: romance