Thinking Out Loud
Missing Robin

August 17, 2014
By: Diane Szczepanski

Gone. The saddest word in the language. In any language.
Mark Slouka

I've been trying to get my thoughts together on the passing of Robin Williams and how deeply it seems to have affected so many of us.

Was it we grew up with him and were the lucky spectators to the ignition and lift off of his genius and we knew we were witness to something really, really special?

Was it his ability to touch us with the range of characters he could play in so many of his movies? From comedic, innocent, hilarious, deep, endearing and just plain lovely?

Was it we envied a brain that possessed the speed to spew forth crazy funny, impromptu explosions of humor and we wished we could be like him and now it scares us a little bit if we are?

Some celebrity deaths sadden us, but don't touch our core.

But, Robin Williams got into our hearts.

He reached in and tickled the essence of the hidden comedian in all of us. It startles us we lost the consummate poster child of wildly free and witty expression. He did and said the things we wished we could.

We don't understand how it came to end this way. We selfishly wanted to enjoy so many more years of his brilliance.

My only wish is that his genius humor and kinetic, wild energy are delighting those that passed before him and the future generations here on Earth will continue to know his amazing talent.

Because, amazing it was...