Whitney Houston is dead at 48 – my age. She died of alcohol mixed with prescription drugs. So did Michael Jackson, so did Heath Ledger, so did Brittany Murphy, so did River Phoenix, so did Amy Winehouse, so did Anna Nicole Smith, and so on. Where are the people who know and love these famous wealthy people? Where are the families? Where are the doctors that continue to prescribe drugs to people who they know drink? So many are sad and lonely, looking for any combination to relieve their pain and their inability to sleep. We recently lost a family friend in the same way. She wasn’t famous, but she died from drinking and taking her prescription pills. You are never sure if it was intended suicide, or if they simply pushed their body’s limits too far in search of sleep and peace. I know in our own situation, family and friends gave as much support and love as they could.
I wish there was something we could do to prevent these in the future. Whether you like people like Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, or Lindsay Lohan, they are still fellow human beings, in many cases young and depressed, and they need our help, whatever we can do. I for one no longer make light of such situations and laugh at their antics. Please take keys away from drunk or high friends and get them a cab. Please don’t laugh when they tell you of their drunken exploits. Try to get them help. In the end only they can save themselves, but the rest of us need to learn from these tragic events.
Here is prayer that the suffering of their families be bearable, and that through the publicity of their deaths, perhaps others will avoid similar fates.
Michael Bradley - Time Traveler 