It's a sad night.
When the story first broke that Andrew Koenig had gone missing, I'll admit that my initial thought was "wonder what the hell he did after his 15 minutes was up on Growing Pains?" not "gee, hope the guy is okay"... So I clicked on the news story and did a quick web search to find out.
Yes, I watched that damn show when it was on... I was young. Forgive me. Even at--whatever tender age I was at the time--I could tell that the actor playing "Boner" wasn't that great (why I couldn't figure out that the rest of the show was shit is beyond me now). And my interest in the "missing person" news was strictly a fact finding mission to bolster my "where are they now" trivia knowledge...
As the days went on and I learned more and more about the circumstances that surrounded his vanishing act, I knew--as well as anyone else following the story did--that he had probably checked out of the Big Game. Brief pieces of my past popped up to say "hello" and remind me that it wasn't that long ago that I could have very well pulled the same exit on my family and friends. I looked at the photo of him that had been posted with most of the news reports--the one of him with long hair... staring into the camera. Suddenly I could see little pieces of me in those eyes. Each night, I'd read up on the progress the authorities made in their search... and I'd find out something new about the guy who I had only ever identified as a crappy actor on a cheesy 80's sitcom.
He seems like someone who could (if he hadn't already) make a difference in this world. He was passionate about human rights and was a vegan for ethical reasons... ironically showing a great respect for life before taking his own. He seemed like someone I probably would like to hang out with.
Tonight, when I learned that his body had been found, I thought about how much pain he must have been living with to take his life. I've felt like ending things numerous times over the years... and the pain that I felt in those times seemed damn near unbearable. It must have been a crushing weight for him to carry.
I can't agree more with the statements that his father made in the wake of finding Andrew's body. If someone you love is showing any signs of retreating from the world, please... don't ignore it. For fuck's sake... let the people that you care about in this life know how much they mean to you... and if you're on the fence about ending it all... reach out to someone, anyone.
The jokes, undoubtedly, will start coming soon... I have no idea what the set up or punchlines will be, but I know that I'll probably find them in bad taste. This whole thing touched a nerve or two... and I find it odd that it was a obscure name from the 80's instead of, say, a Hunter S. Thompson type, that put me in this frame of mind.
...what a fucking shame.
</STRANGE RANT>
When the story first broke that Andrew Koenig had gone missing, I'll admit that my initial thought was "wonder what the hell he did after his 15 minutes was up on Growing Pains?" not "gee, hope the guy is okay"... So I clicked on the news story and did a quick web search to find out.
Yes, I watched that damn show when it was on... I was young. Forgive me. Even at--whatever tender age I was at the time--I could tell that the actor playing "Boner" wasn't that great (why I couldn't figure out that the rest of the show was shit is beyond me now). And my interest in the "missing person" news was strictly a fact finding mission to bolster my "where are they now" trivia knowledge...
As the days went on and I learned more and more about the circumstances that surrounded his vanishing act, I knew--as well as anyone else following the story did--that he had probably checked out of the Big Game. Brief pieces of my past popped up to say "hello" and remind me that it wasn't that long ago that I could have very well pulled the same exit on my family and friends. I looked at the photo of him that had been posted with most of the news reports--the one of him with long hair... staring into the camera. Suddenly I could see little pieces of me in those eyes. Each night, I'd read up on the progress the authorities made in their search... and I'd find out something new about the guy who I had only ever identified as a crappy actor on a cheesy 80's sitcom.
He seems like someone who could (if he hadn't already) make a difference in this world. He was passionate about human rights and was a vegan for ethical reasons... ironically showing a great respect for life before taking his own. He seemed like someone I probably would like to hang out with.
Tonight, when I learned that his body had been found, I thought about how much pain he must have been living with to take his life. I've felt like ending things numerous times over the years... and the pain that I felt in those times seemed damn near unbearable. It must have been a crushing weight for him to carry.
I can't agree more with the statements that his father made in the wake of finding Andrew's body. If someone you love is showing any signs of retreating from the world, please... don't ignore it. For fuck's sake... let the people that you care about in this life know how much they mean to you... and if you're on the fence about ending it all... reach out to someone, anyone.
The jokes, undoubtedly, will start coming soon... I have no idea what the set up or punchlines will be, but I know that I'll probably find them in bad taste. This whole thing touched a nerve or two... and I find it odd that it was a obscure name from the 80's instead of, say, a Hunter S. Thompson type, that put me in this frame of mind.
...what a fucking shame.
</STRANGE RANT>