Why? Do you cry every time a homeless person dies of a heart attack, or is it just when Uncle Nick kicks over from one? Those of us trying to keep this thread respectful do so because we all shared some sort of common ground in our appreciation of Ledger's gifts, much as many of us would if a Bronco passed tomorrow.
Is it disrespectful to nameless heart attack victims and victims of gang violence to mourn the passing of D-Will and Nash and to share stories of our memories of them? Or is that normal and respectful behavior, to give a few moments in remembrance to someone who entertained you with his life's pursuit?
I enjoyed Heath Ledger's work. I have several hours of it on my shelf. Because I know and appreciate his work I feel more regret about his death than about the death of someone who has never impacted my life in any way.
I've had soldiers I know die in combat, and friends of the soldiers I know. I lost my best friend to a heart attack at 25. I've had relatives die, and friends commit suicide. I've had patients and co-workers pass.
Heath isn't in that category. He's not somebody I knew, not somebody I shared anything with. But I did share his movies with friends, and created memories and conversations based off of his work.
He's far less than a friend, but still more than a random person. It's not really much different than Jim Henson or Stevie Ray Vaughn. Someone whose work I appreciated is gone.
So you toast them, and wish their families well, because there are memories that I will have forever that are linked to their work.
That's not hypocritical - that's life. Hypocritical would be people who bring up soldiers dying whenever it suits their message, but have never donated to a wounded soldiers fund, or worked rehab with the boys who make it back alive but broken, or lit candles and grieved with the family members who did lose a hero. I'm not putting anyone in this thread in that category, but I do get that a lot - the using of soldiers' deaths to support a message, but without any of the actions that should follow if their deaths mean that much to you.
I guess I just hate it when celebrity somehow makes someone's life less meaningful or important, just as you hate it when celebrity singles them out amongst the crowd of similar tragedies.
And if you don't understand, that's totally fine - just try to not understand in a way that's less evocative of talk radio, the Jerry Springer show, and Fred-Phelpsian rhetoric.
Respect and courtesy is so very lacking these days - all I'm asking for is a little of both in this thread.
Thanks,
~G
"Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you'll die today."
-- James Dean
My novels Mason's Order and its sequel Mason's Pledge are now available at Amazon in both paperback and kindle versions.
I guess I just don't have a connection with performers. Maybe it is the fake drama. The Sean Penn 'My life is tortured' crap.
I can understand that. Fake drama annoys the bajeezus outta me.
Still, I connect with broken people - and most artists are broken people.
A lot of the time they annoy the hell outta me, because if they'd just shut up and work on their lives they could be much happier, better people - but I still identify with them.
Those of us who have been broken are never really made whole again, so we always identify with the fractures in others.
Former drug users are normally the first to give current drug users the benefit of the doubt. "Well I made it out, so it can be done, and if that guy would just put down the crack pipe his life could be amazing."
We psychos have the same POV about other psychos. "Man, if that dude would just get away from his crowd and stay alive he could be amazing."
Some of us just don't make it.
~G
"Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you'll die today."
-- James Dean
My novels Mason's Order and its sequel Mason's Pledge are now available at Amazon in both paperback and kindle versions.
He had every resource to make himself whole. He had a 2 year old reason.
That is why, in maybe my flawed internal judgement, he is below vets, soldiers, homeless, etc.
I guess it also proves just because you might think someone may have everything, they likely don't.
I've never shared this with anyone here, but I only have one testicle.
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