A quick note about Whitney Houston
So many people look at Whitney Houston and other rich and famous celebrities like Lindsay Lohan with disdain. How could someone so beautiful and talented throw it all away? They wonder. They are so ungrateful, they say. It is easy to jump on this hate filled bandwagon, as gossip and trashing the lives of those more rich and famous than ourselves seems to be part of the American culture, but step away and look at the big picture. Did Whitney Houston really have it all? Beauty? yes. Talent? Yes. Money? Yes. Health? No.
These women, like many other people in and out of the spotlight are suffering from a debilitating mental illness called addiction. Addiction can rob you of your life for years and still not kill you. People like Lindsay Lohan and Whitney Houston haven’t been themselves for decade(s). From the outside, the fix looks obvious, but from the inside, every waking moment and even the most simple of tasks is like hard labor. For them, what you and I would call life is thought of as the time spent in between getting a fix.
While the unaddicted are whole (think 100%), the addicted are working with a deficit, a void they will spend years trying to fill with all the wrong things and people. People blame Bobby Brown for introducing Whitney into a world of drugs. This isn’t entirely accurate. He may have introduced her to drugs, but the void was already there before he came around. He didn’t make her susceptible, she already was. She was too weak to say no to a drama filled relationship with him in favor of looking out for her own best interest and too weak to say no to drugs as well. But why? Quite simply, it all comes down to self-esteem. Around the time Bobby Brown came into her life, she was already a pretty big deal. Everyone thought the world of her and maybe she didn’t believe it. Maybe she was too humble to accept this adoration, maybe there was a little voice inside of her screaming that she wasn’t perfect like everyone thought she was, and maybe just maybe she decided she needed to prove it. Doing so would certainly take some of the pressure off. So even without him it is likely that she would’ve found her way to this type of lifestyle eventually.
It is an unfortunate story with a tragic ending but even astronomical scientists have observed that it is often the biggest and brightest of stars that burn out the fastest.
I just hope her daughter does not follow in her footsteps.
HUGGGGGGGGGG
I know what a beautiful young girl!
you ended this post so gracefully, yet mysteriously.
“It is an unfortunate story but even astronomical scientists have observed that it is often the biggest and brightest of stars burn out the fastest.”
very nice write up. xxx
Thank-you Nicole! XO
i feel bad for folks like Ms Houston but only to a point. unlike most she had the resources available to get the best treatment and support most others suffer and die unknown simply because they were never famous. states have slashed programs for helping people with mental health issues and even private providers of such aid have reduced help they can give or raised the price so high few can afford it. of course there is no carrying on about that issue cause most of the folks helped by those agencies aren’t wealthy or famous so who cares? even in death the rich get better treatment! i also get tired of the wailing the end of civilization is at hand! all the people who wouldn’t have given poor Ms Houston the time of day a week ago are all over CNN and E weeping about the loss of their BFF. the fact that the lady hasn’t been all that much of an artistic force in years won’t stop the hype that she was the greatest singer who ever lived and now all is reduced to silence. rest in peace Whitney. hope to hear you sing in the next life.
Great points here! Yes she was the “laughing stock” remember the “crack is whack” parody on MadTV? I think people make light of these things not exactly expecting the celebrity to die- and celebrities become super-human to a lot of people- some type of “immortal” presence who is not exactly looked at like a person- this probably doesn’t help the celebrity much. Also people enjoy to see those above them fail- not necessarily die- but yes, fail- most people are very envious even over the lamest of things. It is unfortunate that mental health care is cut short in this country- reform is obviously needed (and has been) for decades
Good thoughts!
Thanks!