In my life time many actors have died some from old age, some from illness but the ones I find most perplexing are the ones who die tragically. The ones who under sedation, be it alcohol or any other drug find themselves operating heavy machinery.
Now most of humanity at one point or another has had a time when they shouldn't be operating.....anything. It's not rocket science or brain surgery it's just plain intelligence. Which brings me to my next point. When these accidents occur and they do...why are we surprised?
I think it's because we expect the actor to actually be like the people they portray. But folks they are just regular people who are very good at convincing you to believe in anything they want. That's what acting is all about, bringing life to people who do not actually exist.
So why are we devastated when these actors make unbelievably stupid mistakes or something goes wrong and they die? They made a choice and they have to live or in this case die with it. In many fantasy situations, like movies, books, D&D campaigns or European board games....mistakes are made, chance taken and conclusions dealt with. In life we get no do-overs, no take another turn or can I take that back?
So here we are mourning someone who we have never met and if we are lucky we can watch in syndication for the rest of our lives. Instead as we enter into the New Year let's not mourn the loss of these people, let's take the time to connect with the folks who are all around us. The stranger in the game store who is short a few cents, the elderly person who has a cart to put away in the grocery parking lot, the neighbor who hasn't come out to shovel yet, the folks at church whose cars are covered in snow. These are the people who will notice if you go missing and will help you along the way. Your neighbors, friends and when you do it right.....fewer and fewer strangers.
Happy New Year,
Love Lynn
