New Beginnings

Today the world mourns the loss of one of its greatest legends. Comedian and actor Robin Williams apparently took his own life after a long and arduous struggle with depression. He was only 63. I grew up with Robin. He played in films I loved as a kid: Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire Jumanji and Good Morning Vietnam. For his part in Good Will Hunting, he finally received an Oscar. The whole world lost a real gem today. Although I never met him, I sensed there was something special about him: his passion for acting and humor, making life better for others, but sadly, neglecting his own. People die, that’s a fact of life, but Robin’s death is hard to accept for me millions of others around the world. If only he knew. Robin, you left us too soon, and you will be sorely missed.

Robin’s death reminds me of another tragic story. A life also plagued by depression. I am currently reading a book on Abraham Lincoln’s struggle with religion. Lincoln's Battle with God: A President's Struggle with Faith and What It Meant for America by Thomas Nelson, published in November 2012. I will post a review of it soon, but suffice to say for now is that in the opening chapters, Nelson deals with Lincoln’s darker side, his intense depressions from which he suffered since his mid twenties. Nelson refers a lot to another book that I love, Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness (2006) by Joshua Wolf Schenk. I read it at a time when I was in my BA American Studies program at the University of Groningen and was struggling with bouts of the “hypo” myself. Looking back at that time now, it is hard to describe what it is like, especially to people who have never “experienced” it themselves. All I can say, without wishing to sound presumptuous, is that I know the hopelessness people like Williams and Lincoln must have felt.

Today is also a day of new beginnings. I have decided to restart my blog, this time, not in Dutch, but in English, because I wouldn’t want to withhold the English speaking world the views of a simple Dutchman on American history. That is what this blog is all about; American history, represented in novels, non-fiction, documentaries and films.

For now I wish you all a pleasant night, and whenever you’re feeling the blues, please talk to friends, family or some stranger on the street or bus. You’ve got nothing to lose.