Robin Williams

Wow, now there was something I wish could have ended differently.  He remains one of the few celebrities I wish I could have met in person, as I suspect we could have a wonderful time.  Depression is one of those frustrating illnesses that is so difficult to handle.  I compare it to alcoholism or drug addiction- you can be told you are one, that you’re afflicted by it, and, on some level you might recognize something is wrong, but 99% of you has no idea there’s a problem.  I battled clinical depression from about age 10 to 20, and during that time I had no idea that’s what I was fighting.  It wasn’t until after I had dealt with the consequences that I realized I had no idea what healthy happiness was.  My baseline for normal was anything but.  To this very day, I treat depression like a recovering addict.  I have to continually remind myself that a relapse is possible, and that I need to guard myself against that.  I don’t know if Robin lost his way, forgot where his baseline was, or was just overwhelmed, but I hope he has found his peace.

By Dan Granot

I chose the Shorter Whitman because of his work, "Song of Myself" and because of my self-deprecating sense of humor. I am under no illusion that I can write successful essays or poetry, but I have been known to write them anyway.

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