Whitney Houston and Stress

Whitney Houston, the singer, is dead. She died at a rather young age - she was only 48. The regular papers all say she abused drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Perhaps she did. I wasn't there to witness any of it. They are saying her death was related to her deteriorating health. That is, of course, stating the obvious. Houston actually died of stress - stress on her body and mental condition due to pressures from career issues. 99% of people do not realize that artists lead difficult lives in private. The distance between the public and the private person is very great. Bridging that distance is hard. Keeping up appearances is tough. Being creative is demanding. Staying in top form is difficult. Fame and skill do not last forever. Artists are people who need lots and lots of moral support. When it does not come, they turn to whatever means are available to hide the fact that things are not quite what they should be. Unfortunately, money does not solve the problem. Fortunate is the artist who does not pay some heavy personal price for their success. The torture is sometimes unbearable but most times, it is self-inflicted. What Houston needed most was simply to just have a good time - just like she used to.

Joe Paterno and stress

Many years ago, a candidate for president of Mexico, Donaldo Colosio, was assassinated. His widow died a year later. It was tragic because both of them were in their prime. Later, the guy who used to play Superman, Christopher Reeve, died after battling paralysis for years. His widow died a year later. She was in her prime. Now, Joe Paterno is ill. People say it is as a result of stress induced by the investigation into his handling of the Sandusky child abuse case. That is probably true. Stress and worry and depression kill people. Avoid them like the plague.

P.S. Five minutes after I posted this, Paterno died. Sad but true. He was the fall guy for others who should have reported what they knew. He trusted their judgment and they let him down.