The Most Important Things...

The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them--words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they’re brought out. But it’s more than that, isn’t it? The most important things lie too close to where your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you’ve said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That’s the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller, but for want of an understanding ear.

~Stephen King~


Be Fearless

Robin Williams died earlier today.

I do not now have, nor have I ever had in the past to the best of my knowledge and recollection, a negative view of the world in general. I am not typically one of those "gloom and doom" type of people. I like to see things not so much through rose colored glasses, ignoring and refusing to see any ugliness at all, but rather focusing on what is good, decent, virtuous, lovely, of good report, praiseworthy... etc. Not particularly easy to do all the time, but I do try.

So what's my point? While it already took some effort to view our world as bright and shiny amid the other news of the day, this sad ending to a comedic genius' life just makes the world (for me anyway) a little more dreary and bleak which only means that I will no doubt have to put a little more effort into my world view - at least for a while.

So while I was looking for some sense of understanding, looking for something to help me through my own personal grief, looking for anything to ease my own personal pain, I came across the following. And while it doesn't address directly, or even indirectly, the death of Mr. Williams, it struck a nerve with me and I thought it was worth sharing.

I did not write what follows: