I've been on this Earth for 22 years. I've seen many performers come an go, but half an hour ago I logged onto facebook just before falling asleep and saw it. Robin Williams has passed. You know that moment when Michael Jackson died and the World just stopped, cried and mourned over the great loss? I never went through it, I was never really a fan of his and he was before my time. Like I said I've seen many performers come and go but I don't think any one has ever hit me this hard. Robin Williams was ingrained in my childhood. There isn't a person out the who hasn't seen Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumangi, even Flubber and of course Good Morning, Vietnam (granted, I was a bit older when watching Vietnam). Whenever any of these is on television I still sit down and watch it (even Flubber), it doesn't matter how old I am now, I'm not ashamed. It's Robin Williams! He was pretty much a babysitter to me growing up, just pop in a VHS tape (yes, it was that long ago) and I'd settle down for a couple of hours. I'm pretty we still have a self recorded tape of Mrs. Doubtfire and the youngest person in the house is 15.
It's not just the children of the 1990s he managed to garner adoration from, even this past decade he has managed to invigorate children's imagination with Robots, Night at The Museum and Happy Feet, so you can see that he is timeless. I've sat and watched this films with my younger cousins and seen the joy in their eyes, the same joy that was in my eyes when I had my Robin Williams experience as a child. To be honest I probably still have the look in my eyes when watching him, but nobody notices because EVERYBODY has that look in their eyes. I can honestly say that he made my childhood what it was, and if I ever have children I am absolutely sure that he will be their babysitter as well and I will most certainly be looking out for the delight in their faces that he brings.
He wasn't just a star of family films that I devoutly watched, he was an incredibly versatile actor. Sure he was a comic, and the majority of his film and television work garnered there but I don't think I have ever met anyone that didn't think he was a brilliant dramatic actor. His work in Dead Poets Society, Awakenings and One Hour Photo speaks for itself, and I'm sure that there is a host of others that I'm probably forgetting, but you can remind me later. Through his dramatic work I feel like I genuinely have grown up with him. I watch the family films and they remind me of my childhood and the more dramatic work he's done has encapsulated my adult viewing experience. I tend to say that I have grown up with and entertainer quite frequently but right now all those statements feel false. Robin Williams is who I grew up with, all the others came and went. He's pretty much been a permanent fixture in my life, even more so this past year with his weekly appearances in my household with the delightful The Crazy Ones.
Honestly, since we've revived this blog it's actually felt like a chore to actually write and if you've read the last few things I've posted you could probably tell. Writing about Williams' brilliance wasn't a chore at all. Robin Williams is a legend and he was taken from us much too soon. I don't particularly want to discuss the circumstances of his demise or his personal demons (I probably won't ever want to discuss it), but through the tears in my eyes (which are ridiculously sore right now) I will say that I do hope that he's found peace and I can say with certainty that he will be missed and his legacy will live on through generations.
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