Remembering Robin Williams

During my childhood, I fondly remember tuning in each week to watch Mork and Mindy. The hysterical comedy was a fixture in our homes and as such turned me into a lifelong fan of Robin Williams. When the show ended, I saw “Popeye” and was not a big fan of the film, but undaunted I followed Robin to his later films, even when I had to have my parents approve seeing the R Rated “The World According to Garp”. In my later teens and early 20s, I enjoyed films like “Moscow on the Hudson” and saw films like “The Best of Times” and “The Survivors” all the time wondering what would happen if Hollywood was ever able to capture Williams manic comedy style on film. His comedy specials became staples as I memorized many of his classics including his jokes about the Scots which were always big to me considering it is where my mother and a large portion of my family hails from. The arrival of “Good Morning Vietnam” gave fans the film that they had waited for as Williams was able to do his comedy while showing he had the acting chops to go with it. He was nominated for an Oscar and others followed with “Dead Poets Society”, “The Fisher King”, and “Good Will Hunting” the latter which finally earned him the award. Williams continued to do his sold-out stand up and work with charities, and also had his share of mis-fires at the box office such as “Toys” and “Patch Adams”, as well as his recent series “The Crazy Ones”. I remember having the good fortune to see his sold out show in Seattle a few years back and I was amazed as how well he was able to hold the audience and his energy levels over two+ hours and how he had the audience rolling throughout with his very topical and edgy humor. Accolades aside, I always remember what a young girl told me once. I was teaching her class how to use computers and she told me that her father and Robin went to school with one another. She showed me a picture of Robin and her dad and told me that Robin calls them himself every year over the holidays to wish them well and catch up. It is this human side of the man that I wish to remember along with his abundance of talent. I had learned long ago that comedians often have very dark areas of their personalities that fuel their humor and they can be very sad people. Williams has had his well-publicized demons ranging from substance abuse and domestic issues, but he also touched many lives and did a lot of good in the world. I hope that people will appreciate the man and his legacy.