The Swinging Pendulum - Update

OH MY GOOD GRACIOUS GOD IN HEAVEN!

I cannot believe the reactions people are having to the death of Robin Williams.Now we find out that the poor guy was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, and my heart breaks just a little more for him.

I truly feel everyone is shocked and upset over losing such a talented man that made us all laugh. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Our job is to respect that person’s opinion, whether we counter it with our own is our choice. But the violent and hateful responses some bloggers are getting is a bit too much for me. Fortunately, I have not received the “go kill yourself” or various other profanity laced reactions that other bloggers have received.

No matter how you look at it, the whole event is a terrible tragedy. No matter your religion, and whether or not you believe that someone who commits suicide is going straight to hell, it is still a terrible tragedy. Furthermore, can you imagine the state of mind of those that are raised to believe that very thing, and still decide that death and spending eternity in the fiery pit of hell is a better alternative than living? I can’t even begin to understand that dark place where there is no hope or light. But I know there are people that have been there and somehow came out on the other side. The problem is knowing which ones can’t find their way back. How do we distinguish them from the ones that can? How do you know?

We don’t know. We never know what is inside someone’s head and we never know what is going to be the tipping point for them. The point of all consuming pain and despair that they hide so well. We never know until it is too late.

Mental illness is serious. It is not an excuse for bad behavior and laziness or a crutch for those that are simply unwilling to try. It is a daily struggle for many. They have managed to create a mask for the world but when they are alone they face themselves and their demons, and it gets harder and harder to fight them. I pray for those people and hope they can find the help they need. That they aren't afraid to ask for that help, and that help is readily given and just as readily accepted.

So here is to looking toward the light, seeing the glass as half full and finding the hope to carry on one more day. 
  

The Swinging Pendulum - Robin Williams We Will Miss You!

It appears that just about everyone has an opinion about Robin Williams and the details around his death. Most, like myself, are incredibly sad that a man so full of life, humor and talent could not see all those things in himself. He had to have been one of my very favorite actors, and as far as celebrity he was one of the top few I respected and felt that he cared about others who weren't famous. A real person that if I ran into him somewhere I would feel comfortable speaking to him. I always felt he had a manic type of personality. An extremist in his comedic talent, which made me laugh so hard I cried and my cheeks hurt. He was also just as talented in his dramatic roles and very committed to his art.

When I think of him now I can see the pendulum effect that he couldn't manage to get under control, and that eventually sent him into a dark place where his only way to find peace was to take his own life. If I look at the mental state of someone like a swinging pendulum, it is easier to understand. Most of us stay in the short swing, left and right, happy and sad. We manage to keep it under control and maintain a middle ground only occasionally swinging to the right or left. And then there are those with the wide swing. The manic depressive folks. These are the people that can swing so far to the right, the equal and opposite reaction is the same extreme swing to the left. How do they survive in the extremes?

I don’t think I would have been nearly as upset if he had perished in a car accident. The way he decided to take his own life is devastating to me. He had to be in such a dire state of despair he chose a terrible way to go. Hanging? That is not a quick way die. Gunshot… easy. Hanging by a belt.. on door? Maybe all he had to do was stand up and decide to live. But the fact that he chose to die as an alternative to life, his mental pendulum had swung so far to the left that he couldn't find his way back. He couldn't use his humor and talent to heal his tormented soul. His gift of laughter and his talent to make the world smile was his extreme pendulum swing to the right, only to be answered by the mental depression that comes when that same pendulum swings left.

Unlike so many, he did seek help. He knew the dangerous swings to the dark side were going to consume him, and ultimately they did. Thankfully his legacy will live on and he will continue to make us laugh and smile.

My only hope is that his passing will shed some light on the mental illnesses that affect us all at different times of our lives. Sometimes we can shake it… sometimes we can’t. And for those that find themselves living longer on the extreme dark side… please seek help.

                                 

This is my favorite tribute to him … Genie, you are free.