When I was a little girl, I had a great big crush on Mork from Ork.

I loved his rainbow suspenders and his attitude of being unapologetically himself. He was unique—he was from another planet, after all. Although Robin William’s portrayal of Mork from Ork was scripted, he’d ad-lib the lines to fit his own humor.

Robin William’s gift was making other people laugh.

The news of Robin WIlliams death today makes me feel sad. Wlliams had a positive effect on me and all of his other fans. He lived his passion, which was to make others smile. It makes my heart sing when I see people using their gifts to help others, which Robin Williams did.

He used his words to be of benefit.

“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.”

~ Robin Williams

Another memorable role of Robin Williams is that of a light hearted doctor in the 1998 film Patch Adams. Dr. Patch Adam‘s mission in life is to urge medical students to develop compassionate connections with their patients. Of course, Wiliams, being the comical guy that he was, portrayed Adams as just a funny doctor, because humor is the way he expressed compassion.

No matter what people may say about Robin Williams, I will always love his work because he made me laugh. A big part of why I wound up in Boulder was due to Mork’s from Ork’s influence on me.

No joke: I owe a debt of gratitude to Robin Williams for landing me in a town where I love living.

 

 

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Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: theawl. used with permission from Dave Rogers