“You’re only given one little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” – Robin Williams
It’d be hard to argue the Chicago born actor/comedian didn’t utilise his spark of madness to it’s absolute zenith. Sadly, though, it appears lows borne from the episodes tortured him every bit as much as euphoria levels during mania events.
The nature of depression meaning the manic performances displayed on TV, stage and celluloid, have to be reconciled my recurring depressive episodes. The laughter and great love bequeathed by his audience unable to provide the funny man with long term fulfilment, along with redemption from mental torment.
One of the consequences of this frequent depression was Williams seeking solace in the bottom of a glass. To clarify, I’m referring to a fight againstl alcoholism; not that he attempted to raise his esprit levels from collecting ice.
I’d venture the latter would be an incredibly tedious pastime. With ice collections melting in pretty quick time, unless existing in sub zero temperatures, I’d suggest it’d be a remarkably frustrating and unfulfilling hobby.
I suppose, there’d be the option of existing in a freezer to maintain the ice’s structure. Surely though that lifestyle choice would be counter productive, subsequently decreasing verve levels even further…… Robin Williams was endearingly nuts, however, even he’d have hurled that notion down the nearest mineshaft.
Earlier, yours truly drew a pencil sketch of Robin Williams, augmenting the piece of art with the advocacy penned at this narratives advent. The drawing, shown below, is half caricature and …… errr …… well, half non-caricature. I’ll let you decide which segments of the doodle are which.
Initially, I found undertaking this morning’s pencil creation really difficult. But once I found my pencils the task became markedly easier. The undertaking becoming even less complicated shortly after on locating paper.
When I showed the drawing to my elderly mother, with whom I currently reside, she exclaimed “That’s really good, Gary!…… You’ve captured Chevy Chase’s features brilliantly.”
“No, mum….. That’s Robin Williams, not Chevy Chase!….. Look, he’s name is at the bottom of the picture!” I felt moved to point out to the ditzy old bird.
“Well, it looks absolutely nothing like Robin Williams!” came the cruel maternal opinion.
“Do you even know who Robin Williams is, mum?” I inquired, deeming my art bore a nearer resemblance to RB than CC.
“Yes, he’s that singer who was in Take That…… The arrogant one with all those bleeding awful tattoos!” Mrs S’s iconoclastically countered.
“No, that’s Robbie Williams, mum!…… Robin Williams was the comedian Ian, Helen and me watching in TV show ‘Mork and Mindy’ in the 1970’s.” yours truly endeavoured to clarify.
“Is he the fella who used to say that bleeding stupid ‘Nanu. Nanu.” the matriarch inquired.
“Yes.” I responded, thinking I was getting somewhere at last with my art subject’s identity.
“Couldn’t stand him!….. He was bleeding too stupid for my liking.” mater’s polemic continued.
“I’m not interested if you liked him, mum…… I wanted to know if you thought my pencil drawing looks like him?” I queried, endeavouring to get the conversation back on track.
“It’s nothing like Robin Williams!……. Although it does have a look of him when he starred in Caddyshack.” mater chirped confusingly.
“Robin Williams wasn’t in Caddyshack…… You’re confusing him with Chevy Chase again…… It looks nothing like Chevy Chase!!” I barked, irked at the lack of maternal support.
“Trust me, it looks more like him than it does Robin Williams, Gary!” Maggie chuntered.
“I thought it had a decent likeness….. The best caricature I’ve done yet!” I argued in my defence.
“Well saying it’s the best one yet doesn’t really say a great deal!……. I’ve seen better art scribbled on the back of cubicle doors in public toilets than your drawing efforts…… One of my friends saw some and though our Alice (her granddaughter) had drawn them; and she’s only two years old!!” mater continued to antagonise her eldest offspring!
“Why are you incapable of supporting your kids with creative projects?!” I asked in discord.
“I’m only winding you up, Gary!…… It’s a good likeness of Robin Williams you’ve captured there…… I only do that to keep your feet on the ground” mother revealed.
“Well, one of my feet won’t be on the ground shortly, when I hoof you up the ass!”
