Death of a Celebrity

It was a funny old week, last week wasn't it? Kicking off with the death of David Bowie, followed only a few days later with the death of Alan Rickman.

David Bowie's death had me tearing up on the train while listening to Heroes. My Nan actually called me when she heard Rickman had died, knowing he was one of my favourite actors. It's quite strange to think how the death of someone you never knew, beyond their work, maybe some interviews, can affect you.

But I have this theory that we're all made up of stuff. The things we like, our pet hates, our funny little quirks. For example - I'm always cold; I like to eat but I hate to cook; I knit, I read, I dance badly and I prefer red wine to white.

Unfortunately, my stuff also includes David Bowie and Alan Rickman. I've listened to Bowie all my life; I even recently applied for a job that asked me to include my top five films and Labyrinth was my top pick. Alan Rickman has often been the highlight of films I've enjoyed - I am still in love with his Colonel Brandon and he brought to life Severus Snape beautifully.

For me, the loss of these men was personal in a completely different way to if I'd known them personally. These people are woven into the background of my daily life - the films I love, the music I regularly listen to, the people I admire.

To lose that constant is a shock to the system and I think that you should be allowed to mourn that. If you were lucky enough to be passionate enough about something to be hurt at the loss of it - then you have the right to mourn that.

I've been listening to a little more Bowie over the last week. I've rewatched Sense & Sensibility and Dogma and will hunt down Truly Madly Deeply soon. I'm reminding myself that these men were working class heroes. Rickman walked away from a stable graphic design business to pursue his dream of acting. Bowie was able to pursue art and music and didn't give a damn about fitting in with the music and entertainment industry of the day.

These are men to admire. These are men who deserve to be missed. Admire them, miss them and let them inspire you.