As the world mourns the passing of Robin Williams, his death brings to light the unavoidable, painful fact that on any given day, we don’t know what another human being is experiencing and how precious our time together is. So many of us forget this. We go about our daily lives with the word, “me,” in the forefront, focusing on ourselves, thoughtless of others.
Zelda, Robin’s daughter, reached out through social media in the midst of her deepest sorrow and loss. Unfortunately, she encountered unkind and negative people. Cyber bullying forced her to close the doors to the outside world, a world that in the midst of her darkest despair, could have offered her some comforting thoughts and reflections about her father. A world filled with the greatest potential for love, healing, compassion and solace was blocked because of mean-spirited words by a minority of hurtful people.
Robin’s demise is the tip of the iceberg of a much greater societal problem that infiltrates all of our lives. Depression, for sure, but what I am referring to is bullying, the antithesis of what Robin Williams stood for. Some people lack compassion and kindness. We can choose to be kind, like a wisp of a beautiful, refreshing breeze blowing in and out of one another’s lives. Or, we can choose to be unkind, like a dark smoke, unpleasant and repulsive.
Social media can be the greatest gift and, yet, it can be used for the meanest of purposes. All of our actions and behaviors have a ripple effect, and no one can ever be certain of its outcome. Look what it prompted Zelda to do. We know, firsthand, what isolation can do in one's darkest moments, but let’s bring this closer to home, on our own playing field with athletics here at MSU. Social media can be the greatest bearer of glad tidings or a perfect venue for cyber bullying.
Athletes come to MSU to participate in a sport they love. They work countless hours to be the best that they can be, and bring success to our school and programs. Yet, they are bullied -- cyber bullied. Some of these athletes have left our school because of the outpouring of meanness. And, this doesn’t just affect athletes; it trickles down to everyday people like you and me.
No one is perfect and, unfortunately, no one is above a bully’s radar. Isn’t life hard enough? Aren’t we hard enough on ourselves? We beat ourselves up, daily, for not being pretty enough, rich enough, strong enough, confident enough, smart enough. We don’t need strangers or friends to add to our misery. Pictures are taken, shared and mocked on social media of those that were not blessed with the perfect face, body or clothing style. Why? In an effort to make ourselves feel better. No one is safe.
My thoughts are in light of the world losing one of the greatest lights out there. We need to stop. This is the real world, where people hurt, words are powerful and we never know what someone may be dealing with in their lives. So why not adopt a little of the “Robin Williams attitude” and be a little kinder, more joyful and more compassionate to others. The right word, at the right time, can make a change in someone’s life. Perhaps it could have changed Robin’s.
In the words of Robin Williams, “No matter what anyone tells you, words and actions can change the world.” Perhaps it can start with you and I.
