Mork-Mindy-tv-02As with the rest of the world, I am reeling over the loss of (in my opinion) one of the best comedians I’ve ever known. I grew up with Mork, sitting on my head on the couch and saying nanu nanu – shasbot.

I escaped to Club Paradise every summer not quite understanding most of the plot until I was older but thinking how much fun it would be to live on an island.

I said “Good Morning, Vietnam” every day in middle school and thought the music he chose to go with his jokes was simply perfect.

Hook gave me the wings to fly and write and be creative. I also repeated the entire dialog between Peter Pan and Rufio all the time “you lude, crude, rude bag of prechewed food dude”.

FernGully made me respect trees and love fairies and I sung the batty rap song all the time.

Mrs. Doubtfire helped me understand my parents divorce. It meant a lot to me to look back to my childhood, as a teen, and watch what his children went through, what he went through… that he truly did love them and want to be with them no matter the cost.

Jumanji made me want to play board games again.

Aladdin was another magical journey into a “whole new world”. Flubber put me on the same playing field as my parents Nutty Professor. The list goes on.

Of course I saw Dead Poets Society, To Wong Foo, What Dreams May Come, Toys, Popeye, Patch Adams, Good Will Hunting, A.I., Robots, Night at the Museum and Happy Feet…

Robin Williams was my hero! I watched everything he was in, whether I liked it or not. I wasn’t thrilled when he went through his dark phase but I always gave him the benefit of the doubt. And while there are many movies and TV shows I know I have over-looked I leave you with my two favorites:

August Rush, though I didn’t care for his part in it, it was a miraculous movie that must be seen for the sake of seeing it.

Bicentennial ManBut if you are like me, and want to sit down and watch an outstanding Robin Williams movie. One that will make you laugh and cry, think and be amazed. One that will yank the emotions through your robot exterior, make you feel human in a future you would actually WANT to live in; a movie that will make you desire to be more, to push the envelope, to advance civilization in a story that spans two centuries, then I HIGHLY suggest sitting down with a nice glass of wine, or three, a box of tissues and a soft blanky and watch Bicentennial Man. While the critics were rather rough on it, I have never put much credibility into what they say. I watch what I want, write what I want and say what I want, because “you’re only given a little spark of madness, you mustn’t lose it.”

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“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” Robin Williams

“Real loss is only possible when you love something more than you love yourself.” Good Will Hunting

“To live… to live would be an awfully big adventure.” Peter Banning from Hook

“But oh, to be free. Such a thing would be greater than all the magic and all the treasures in all the world.” Genie from Aladdin

Why Robin? Why leave us so soon? I will miss you, but you will live on in all of the great things you accomplished in your life. Not just your comedy, not just your movies, not just your charitable acts of love… everything.   Teaching