The impact of a death in the family is an impact that lasts forever, especially the death of our parents or other close members of the family. However, one must walk with time. As time passes, our life continues.
To common people, celebrities are far away – out of touch. Common people seldom get media attention or headlines in the news. However, the news of celebrities is everywhere, and everything they do seems worthy of publication. But when these common people come to know their celebrity idol is dead, those fans become disoriented, and that sadness has led in some cases to suicide attempts.
That’s what happened when Michael Jackson died: It has been reported that 12 devotees killed themselves. Yes, Michael Jackson’s death was untimely. He was not 90 years old when he died – only 50.
If the celebrity’s life is unexpectedly cut short by accidents, this becomes an unmeasurable grief to people. The untimely death of Princess Diana and Kobe Bryant are good examples. Similar to Bryant’s accident, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn B. Kennedy died in plane crashes. Death is for everyone, and so are accidents.
Ordinary people face that situation every now and then, but those are just added to the statistics.
Thats what happened during the COVID pandemic in the U.S. Total deaths are estimated to be more than 1.1 million. Humans become numbers. But we remember because we read in the newspaper or listened in the TV news that Kathy Manning – Miss Mississippi – died of COVID. Colin Powell also died from COVID.
We find recently in the news that Mathew Perry died at the age of 54. It has become heartbreaking when we see such an early death.
Suzanne Sommers was my favorite actress when I used to watch “Three’s Company.” She died last year at the age of 77. I thought she could have lived a few more years, but she still did well because I am not yet that age.
But when Lisa Mary Presley, Elvis Presley’s only daughter died at the age of 54, it really hurts.
On the other hand, Rosalynn Carter died recently at the age of 96 years. What a life she led! Can we touch that age?
All of us remember Bob Barker of “The Price is Right.” He died at the age of 99. Or Charles Osgood of CBS Sunday morning shows, who also died recently at the age of 91. We feel good when someone lives beyond 90.
When a celebrity dies, whether it is from addiction or an accident or natural causes, it can remind us of precautions we can take in our own lives. If it is because of certain diseases, we can follow a physician’s advice and go for regular checkups.
On the other hand, we can sometimes attempt to mimic the lifestyles of those who died at the age of 90 and above.
Jiben Roy, a native of Bangladesh, teaches chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences at Mississippi University for Women. He writes occasional column in the Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
Jiben Roy, a native of Bangladesh, teaches chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences at Mississippi University for Women. His email address is [email protected].
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
