Dammit. Had to ramble about this.

http://mgoldenblog.wordpress.com/2014/0 ... 1951-2014/

His career was such that there always seemed to be a performance "at my level" as I grew older. What this meant is that I never "outgrew" Robin Williams. He was always there and always providing good entertainment. It's like Bugs Bunny, Luke Skywalker, Seinfeld, Batman, Sheldon Cooper, Jim Kirk, and Denzel Washington all died at once.

Not a staple from my childhood, a staple in some fashion from every era.

That said, I've never personally felt any sense of loss or sadness or whatever at the death of any famous person. If I consciously think about the loved ones they've left behind, I feel sympathy, of course, and if I actually witness their grief, I empathize, but that's different. It always intrigues me when I see other people reacting with what seems to be a sense of personal loss and sadness. For those of you who do feel affected by Williams' death or have been similarly affected by other celebrities' deaths in the past, and if you care to discuss those feelings, I'm curious to know whether it really does feel like a personal loss/sadness rather than just a sympathy/empathy thing. If so, is it the same kind of feeling as when you lose someone close to you in your own life - though presumably of a lesser intensity - or does it differ in kind as well as degree?

Let me preface this post by saying that I mean no disrespect to Williams or to anyone who has been emotionally impacted by his death. My impression is that he was a decent person and his work was obviously a positive contribution to the world, and folks are perfectly entitled to feel however they feel about his passing.

That said, I've never personally felt any sense of loss or sadness or whatever at the death of any famous person. If I consciously think about the loved ones they've left behind, I feel sympathy, of course, and if I actually witness their grief, I empathize, but that's different. It always intrigues me when I see other people reacting with what seems to be a sense of personal loss and sadness. For those of you who do feel affected by Williams' death or have been similarly affected by other celebrities' deaths in the past, and if you care to discuss those feelings, I'm curious to know whether it really does feel like a personal loss/sadness rather than just a sympathy/empathy thing. If so, is it the same kind of feeling as when you lose someone close to you in your own life - though presumably of a lesser intensity - or does it differ in kind as well as degree?

Robin Williams, the Man, is the purview of his family and those losses are what you describe in the beginning of this paragraph.

Robin Williams, as defined by his collective catalog of performances, belongs to the world and his audiences. Whatever demons and difficulties he faced, he made a career of bringing happiness to other people, particularly the less fortunate. We are lamenting the loss of his presence and the fact that he tried to change the world one smile at a time.

Let me preface this post by saying that I mean no disrespect to Williams or to anyone who has been emotionally impacted by his death. My impression is that he was a decent person and his work was obviously a positive contribution to the world, and folks are perfectly entitled to feel however they feel about his passing.

That said, I've never personally felt any sense of loss or sadness or whatever at the death of any famous person. If I consciously think about the loved ones they've left behind, I feel sympathy, of course, and if I actually witness their grief, I empathize, but that's different. It always intrigues me when I see other people reacting with what seems to be a sense of personal loss and sadness. For those of you who do feel affected by Williams' death or have been similarly affected by other celebrities' deaths in the past, and if you care to discuss those feelings, I'm curious to know whether it really does feel like a personal loss/sadness rather than just a sympathy/empathy thing. If so, is it the same kind of feeling as when you lose someone close to you in your own life - though presumably of a lesser intensity - or does it differ in kind as well as degree?

Let me preface this post by saying that I mean no disrespect to Williams or to anyone who has been emotionally impacted by his death. My impression is that he was a decent person and his work was obviously a positive contribution to the world, and folks are perfectly entitled to feel however they feel about his passing.

That said, I've never personally felt any sense of loss or sadness or whatever at the death of any famous person. If I consciously think about the loved ones they've left behind, I feel sympathy, of course, and if I actually witness their grief, I empathize, but that's different. It always intrigues me when I see other people reacting with what seems to be a sense of personal loss and sadness. For those of you who do feel affected by Williams' death or have been similarly affected by other celebrities' deaths in the past, and if you care to discuss those feelings, I'm curious to know whether it really does feel like a personal loss/sadness rather than just a sympathy/empathy thing. If so, is it the same kind of feeling as when you lose someone close to you in your own life - though presumably of a lesser intensity - or does it differ in kind as well as degree?

Let me preface this post by saying that I mean no disrespect to Williams or to anyone who has been emotionally impacted by his death. My impression is that he was a decent person and his work was obviously a positive contribution to the world, and folks are perfectly entitled to feel however they feel about his passing.

That said, I've never personally felt any sense of loss or sadness or whatever at the death of any famous person. If I consciously think about the loved ones they've left behind, I feel sympathy, of course, and if I actually witness their grief, I empathize, but that's different. It always intrigues me when I see other people reacting with what seems to be a sense of personal loss and sadness. For those of you who do feel affected by Williams' death or have been similarly affected by other celebrities' deaths in the past, and if you care to discuss those feelings, I'm curious to know whether it really does feel like a personal loss/sadness rather than just a sympathy/empathy thing. If so, is it the same kind of feeling as when you lose someone close to you in your own life - though presumably of a lesser intensity - or does it differ in kind as well as degree?

I find it amazing how someone who was so charitable throughout his life could commit such a selfish and violent act. I guess people don't always do things that make sense.

I don't know that I'd call it particularly violent as far as suicides can go. He sat down and fell asleep.