Super Bowl Weekend turned into a nightmare for fans of
Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. As difficult as it is to say, the
Seahawks man-handled Denver and made Peyton look mortal.
Even with all the buzz about the Super Bowl, Peyton, and
commercials (most of which were inane wastes of fortunes), the story that stole
the spotlight over the weekend was the death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Like most folks, I was stunned and saddened by the man’s death. He proved
himself to be an incredible actor who brilliantly took on roles and made
himself into those characters so much that we believed them to be his true
identities. My favorite movie of his was “Empire Falls.” Of course, I also
liked him in “Twister.”
At the same time, Hoffman proved to be an incredibly selfish
person. His addiction seems to have ruled his life. He admitted several years
ago that he quit drug use at the age of 22 because he panicked that it might
lead to his death. In another 24 years, his words proved true.
Hoffman died because he loved drugs more than life. He
abandoned family, friends, and fans. In the end, nothing matter as much to him
as his desire for heroine. Oh, I know it must be a cruel addiction, but
“lesser” folks have broken free of its clutches and survived to bring joy to
others who loved them.
I googled the 10 most famous drug deaths and came up with an
all-star cast. The list included Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, Chris Farley,
Marilyn Monroe, and John Belushi. All of them had troubles in life, but then
again, don’t we all? I’d like to have asked them what was so bad about this
life.
They all had great wealth at some point, and I suspect that
too much money might have been a contributing factor in their addictions. It
seems that being able to buy anything in this world steals much of the
excitement in life and appreciation for the little things. Perhaps these
individuals turned to drugs to find the “rush” that comes from getting a
special present at Christmas or swapping an old clunker vehicle for a later
model one.
We have become a species that is never quite content. We
keep searching and pushing for things that will spice up our lives. I am as
guilty as anyone; I keep wanting when I should be bowing my head and being
thankful for what has been given to me.
I’m tired of all these drug deaths. I’m also saddened by
them, not just the rich and famous ones but all that come as a result of people
giving up and giving in. Despair is a miserable condition, and maybe all of us
must reach out and lift others who are in the depths of it.
What I don’t think we should do is sing praises of a person
who had the world in his hands but chose, instead, to end his existence with a
drug. Heroic status is due to those people who persevere in the faces of deadly
diseases, debilitating war injuries, or vicious abuse. They have the courage to
go on in spite of having the odds stacked against them. These individuals
refused to blame someone or some past occurrence to define who they would
become.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, rest in peace. You will be missed as
much for what you failed to fulfill as for what you achieved.
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