I know that many folks are mourning the passing of Robin Williams; frankly, I’m mystified by much of what I am hearing. From the world’s point of view, he had it all: money, fame, possessions, privilege, and a lifestyle that few people in the world ever achieve. All of this was smoke and mirrors. Williams was a hollow man. He had a God shaped hole in his soul that he tried to fill with transitory junk.
In high school, I remember listening to some of his early material that others snuck into the senior Lounge. To be polite in describing it, Williams was a vile, potty mouthed person that used profanity excessively and like to talk about bodily fluids. It was disgusting.
Then he got a gig doing the Mork and Mindy show. Williams was presented as something he was not. The media tried to make him out as Michael Landon with a sense of humor. In subsequent years, Williams did many film and television appearances but he always struck me as the kind of guy that had a crappy childhood and tried to mask the pain by being a smartass.
That Williams took his life is no surprise. It is tragic but not because pop-culture lost an icon of comedy; no, it’s tragic because Williams gained the whole world and lost his soul.
Suicide is a selfish act and in the old days Roman Catholics called it a Mortal Sin. Williams may be experiencing his eternal reward but based on the life he led, I don’t think anyone can say he is at peace.