Robin Williams in a scene of the movie ‘Dead Poet Society’.
HE was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan and everything in between – that was how President Barack Obama described the dazzling comedian Robin Williams who passed away on Tuesday at 63.
The president said Williams “arrived in our lives as an alien but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit.”
The Obama family said in a statement: “He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalised on our own streets.”
Indeed, Williams did.
How could I ever forget how a boy’s face lit up when Williams, playing an unorthodox English professor John Keating in the movie Dead Poets Society, looked into his eyes and said you may contribute a verse.
Willaims said: “We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering – these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry – beauty, romance, love – these are what we stay alive for.”
He went on to quote Walt Whitman’s poem:
“Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless,
Of cities fill’d with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself (for who more foolish than I and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light,
Of the objects mean,
Of the struggle ever renew’d,
Of the poor results of all,
Of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest with the rest, me intertwined,
The question, O me! So sad, recurring – What good amid these,
O me, O life?
Answer.
That you are here – that life exists and identity, That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.
The Obama family ended their statement by offering their condolences to “Robin’s family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse.”
Many reacted to Robin Williams’ passing with sadness and a sense of loss. It is not just about his performances but also about missing him as a friend because we all feel like we actually know this man who said: “Carpe Diem, seize the day, gather ye rosebuds while ye may” in the same movie Dead Poets Society.
I was ascending the viewing point of Ba Kelalan some three weeks ago and after the tedious climb (a stroll for the locals by the way), it was “a view from above” that made me pause to think.
At the sight of such a majestic view, I could well have shouted seize the moment but living for that moment is not what it is all about.
There is time for preparation, both mentally and physically, to make the climb to the top of the slope and soak up the gorgeous view.
Seize the moment needs much preparation in order to reach where we want to be to enjoy a glorious view.
Yet, we are constantly exhorted by the world, with its distorted understanding of life, to seize the present moment no matter what – you will never have another moment if you don’t make it now, it will be too late.
The world does not tell us seizing the right moment requires not only great efforts but also the wisdom to know whether the moment we think is right is actually real and according to values of life.
Hasty decisions – most times not the best – are being made because the world teaches us everything is for now. And that this life is the most important thing and the reason we are brought into existence is to make something out of this present experience – you will never get another chance disregarding morals and values.
It is not the best to seize the moment when we practically don’t know what lies ahead and when we are unable to judge ourselves but merely seize the moment for our own selfish pleasure.
While browsing through social media, I found out that despite his genius, Williams worked hard to keep raising his standards. He made himself one of those rare actors who could make us laugh and cry in equal measures.
Williams acknowledged the idea “that you’d better keep working, otherwise people will forget.”
He cared about doing that. He knew it mattered. He kept working to make himself the best. He understood he was here to contribute a verse!
A tweet circulating in social media after Robin Williams’ passing revealed the late actor’s reply to man who tweeted to thank him for “making me laugh so hard.”
Williams responded: “I needed your Tweet. Thank you.”
To quote my learned friend: “This is a man who had done everything in his talent to bring joy and laughter to cheer millions but he failed to cheer himself out of his depression.”
In Patch Adams, a 1988 semi-biographical comedy-drama film, Williams said: “What’s wrong with death, sir? What are we so mortally afraid of? Why can’t we treat death with a certain amount of humanity and dignity, and decency, and God forbid, maybe even humor.
“Death is not the enemy, gentlemen. If we’re going to fight a disease, let’s fight one of the most terrible diseases of all – indifference.”
Whatever pain caused Robin Williams to allegedly take his own life, I hope he knew the world would miss him and thank him for his gifts of humour, humility, understanding and empathy just as how the Obama family and many of his family, friends and fans feel.
So, what will be your verse?