Whitney Houston's death last week came as no surprise to many people. Her erratic behavior in recent years, punctuated by drug abuse, were cries for help that, as far as I can see, went unheeded.
The media, as expected, had a field day with the tragic news. This is the sacrifice celebrities have to deal with, especially at death. Sensationalistic stories of the once perfect, all-American girl with the voice of a songbird crashing down to earth started to appear: Her embarrassing reality TV stint with Bobby Brown. Her crazy behavior at a Prince concert. Reminders of her failed comebacks in recent years. Fans walking out of her concerts demanding refunds. It is such a shame to see a human being with Whitney's talent lose all her decency and pretty much end up on a sidewalk, drawing pity, rejection, and ridicule from the public.
I read some of the news on Whitney Houston's passing, but stopped after a few. I wanted to remember her as that great singer on The Bodyguard soundtrack, and that nice voice on those catchy, mid-late 80s albums. Strangely, I had a premonition of her death just two days before, in a dream. It was a deja-vu moment when I heard the news. But I wasn't surprised.
There is something in this story that is more tragic than Whitney's death. It's something that most people overlook: Where the heck were her friends and family when she first showed signs of trouble? Where was her support group? Where were those people who were supposed to watch her back? ou know, FRIENDS. I mean, true friends. The ones who yell at you, shake you, tackle you with no regard for your feelings when they see you are in danger because they care about you so much they don't stop to think of the consequences.
I just wonder if those individuals did enough to save this poor woman. Any mature adult can see that Whitney's behavior during the last years of her life were cries for help. She just couldn't say it directly. Tragically, it seems that her friends simply watched her die.
So let this be a lesson for all of us. If you see a loved one showing a pattern of detatchment, or consistently doing things as though she/he didn't care about the consequences, even while laughing and seemingly enjoying him/herself, step in and take action. If you saw a good friend about to walk onto the 680 freeway, I'm sure you would rush to intercept her. So when you see signs of trouble, do the same thing and step in and intercept. Find out what's going on, and do what you can to help your friend, because you may be her only hope.
I watched her funeral service online today, and wept and cried for the loss of such a breathtakingly beautiful woman, who had the voice of an angel. It's been heartbreaking to watch her go from what she was at the height of her fame, to what she was at the end. She will be missed. I pray that she now has the peace she wasn't able to find in this life.
Although technically her death was not a suicide, I believe that, for all intents and purposes, it was a suicide. For those who have a friend that is going down that dangerous path, there is a resource right here in our own back yard. It is the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at (925) 804-6494. They have a Yellow Pages listing of 2105 N Donovan Way, San Ramon, CA 94582. They are a non-profit involved in the research, education, treatment and prevention of suicide. The hotline is (800) 273- TALK (8255).
Even a Marine drill sergeant type cannot get through to someone who doesn't want the help - or who doesn't feel they're strong enough to face a particular demon. The very sad thing about Whitney is, once she got to the place where she was willing to listen and to where she felt strong enough to face her demons, too much damage had been done.
And, Dan, that's a pretty harsh comment about Dionne Warwick as it relates to Whitney. I believe Whitney was deeply loved by the people closest to her in her life, including Dionne Warwick - who was Whitney's cousin, by the way, not her Godmother. I believe many people who loved Whitney tried for many, many years to save her from destroying herself. Just because they were not successful in doing so doesn't mean they didn't care, nor that they didn't try. Addictions can have such a strong hold on someone's life that sometimes not even love can penetrate them. That's one of the things that makes addictions so very tragic and deadly.
I remember when she sang the Star Spangled Banner at the 1991 Super Bowl. Who could have ever dreamed that, just over 20 years later, she would be gone.