What did John Belushi, Jim Morrison, Heath Ledger, Keith Moon, Chris Farley, Janis Joplin, Elvis, Rick Nelson and Philip Seymour Hoffman have in common?
All these people from diverse sectors of the entertainment industry share something in common that so many of us never did and never will do: they have all died from drug and/or alcohol abuse. On Sunday afternoon we learned that Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of the latest casualties of drug addiction.
We have since learned that Hoffman bought many packets of heroin on Sunday morning and went back to his upscale apartment/office. The heroin was allegedly laced with other drugs which would have given him an even greater high, different than the heroin which was sold back in the 60s and 70s. If you had seen and remembered the 60 Minutes interview from 2006, you would know that he suffered for years with addiction.
Hoffman, unfortunately, was not the only casualty we have lost due to addiction. There too many others, a few in which I named in the first paragraph and they were also lost due to different abuses, too far gone to save themselves.
They all are not alone. Johnny Cash, George Carlin, Michael Jackson, Joe E Lewis, Dean Martin and Richard Pryor, while not suffering the same demise, suffered from
- Cover of Johnny Cash
long-term usage which did damage from which they could not recover.
Phil Hartman died because his wife had an addiction problem. Fortunately, Pete Townsend and Charlie Sheen are still with us, if only because their downward spiral was caught before it went too far. We hope. Although Sheen? That outcome is anyone’s guess.
What makes some people, especially those who have achieved fame, fortune and success search for that greater “high”? Shouldn't they be happy that they reached that brass ring? Or are they just in that much emotional pain.
Certainly I am not a psychologist but, as one who has dealt with the public for years, I can tell you that most people who live ordinary lives, sometimes, do not drink to excess, pop pills or shoot needles in their arms to help themselves feel better about their lot in life. Instead, they go about their business and work hard to make a difference, no drugs necessary.
Perhaps, there is now a lesson to be learned here. For those people who still struggle with their ordinary lives, congratulations! You are doing a great job and your loved ones truly appreciate what you are enduring to accomplish it.
For those who have made it, or who are on the verge of making it, stop and take a look back at where you were and where you are now. You are experiencing the thrill of
a lifetime. You have achieved your dream. What the hell are you doing to yourself with the booze and the drugs? What thrill are you looking for now? YOU MADE IT!! Isn't that enough?
I cannot speak for others but I can tell you, it is enough for me. If we could achieve a quarter of what celebrities accomplish, we would be ecstatic, satisfied and try to give back to others. We would far and away achieve more than what we set out to do, without drugs or alcohol.
For me, drugs and alcohol would not make it better, so far from it. I won't say that I am a saint; I have had my fair share of booze in my lifetime and I would much rather be sober any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Finally, what is the moral of the story? I am sure you know the answer. I am sure he would rather have a different result than the one he sadly accomplished. He ended up in a place he never intended. Just like a street addict, with the needle still in his arm, breaking the hearts of his loved ones.
Ultimately, the lessons those people who are successful should be teaching the rest of us is this: no matter how many cars, how big your house, how fat your bank account, you will end up in a hole six feet deep and four feet wide. In a box.
Perhaps they feel a sense of immortality? Sad……
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