Most of us are not nor will we ever be in a position to
greatly affect a celebrity’s life, and most celebrities are not people who will ever greatly affect ours. They play characters in film, score points on the field, sing to us while we drive, create beautiful
works of art we hang on our wall, or do many other things that, in ways
both large and small, affect our culture. Then there are those who are much
more than that. An actor might play a role in a movie that brings about facets of
your own character that are otherwise unreachable. Maybe an athlete gave a speech after
losing a big game that inspires you to keep trying. Or a recording artist wrote a song that
describes a feeling you thought was only experienced by you. Fame allows a celebrity many ways in which to touch our lives. For those who do, their passing might mean
much more to us than a mere “R.I.P.” on Facebook. Over the years there
have been many that we have been truly and deeply saddened about on a level that
others may not have felt, but that’s the thing about celebrities. A person may
love them, hate them, or just feel indifferent to them. That’s just how it
goes.
This is my own personal list of celebrities who have reached
me on that deeper level for some reason or another, and left me truly saddened
when they passed. Unfortunately this blog will never
be finished. I will continue to update as the good Lord sees fit. All we can hope for is long breaks in between.
