Rockin' Robin

I am uncertain why the death of Robin Williams has rocked me so.

All day I felt despondent. I was a teen when Mork and Mindy came to be. Actually, I remember Mork's appearance on Happy Days - one of the characters to spin off from that popular show. 

He was like no one I had ever seen. He was a force of nature. Larger than life. Is that why it seems so impossible that he chose to hang himself? I guess we didn't realize that he was lightning. Beautiful, bright, brilliant, scary, sometime flashing, sometimes sharp and jagged, raw and real. But lightning never outlasts the storm.

His performances have left footprints all over my life. One of the first movies I watched with Kenny when we were dating was "Patch Adams." My nickname in my family is Cindy-Pan, consequently, I love "Hook." His soulful roles showed us he could rein-in the mania and sell it. "Dead Poet's Society," Good Will Hunting."

I was drawn to watching Robin in roles that seemed completely out of character. He played a terrible person on Law & Order SVU and "One Hour Photo" was creepy. I think we like to see our funny men go serious now and again.

It's been a sad day, but I know I will laugh and smile again. And when I watch Robin's movies and comedy routines in the future, it will be like he is still alive. Only he won't be. And that's just too damn bad.