Carrie Fisher and Our Attachment to Hollywood

Carrie Fisher and Our Attachment to Hollywood January 2, 2017


Star Wars was either before my time or before my time of awareness that I was supposed to have heroes in Hollywood. So the death of Carrie Fisher didn’t strike me as particularly sad, other than death is always particularly sad.

Debbie Reynolds. I met her in Ouray, Colorado when I was about eight or nine. I used to have an autographed picture of her, and it sat on my bedroom mirror because I thought she was gorgeous and I wanted to be gorgeous. But I can’t say I ever felt anything toward her, except admiration for her God-given beauty. And now she is gone a few days after her daughter’s death. Losing a daughter, especially during the Holidays, had to be rough emotionally and that likely affected Miss Reynolds’ health. And now her son is dealing with double deaths, so perhaps we should pray about that.

We live in a broken world where death does not pass over anyone. It claims every body. And yet we idolize those who are seemingly more glorious but in reality, are just like us: mortal beings made of dust, ready at any moment to return to dust. Seems like there is a lesson in all of that, and maybe it’s just the stark reality that nobody makes it out alive, and to live life to the fullest, loving others the best we can while they’re here. While we are here. To focus on those near us more than the ones who are TV icons we don’t truly know, and never will. We all feel a bit attached to Hollywood – but why? I say attach to the tangible, fleshy family and friends and coworkers we’ve been given. Enjoy Hollywood, sure. But invest the most time and mental/emotional energy in those we’ve been given for our very own.

This is all null and void when Tom Selleck, Sam Elliot, and Sandra Bullock die. I’m a hypocrite and I know it.


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