dharmatalks

It’s a tragedy that Corey Haim, at the young age of 38, apparently died from an accidental overdose. It’s always a tragedy when a life is ended unnaturally, particularly when it happens to someone young.

I was troubled, however, by an interview with Larry King, in which Haim’s long-time friend, Corey Feldman remarked:

"I appreciate the fact that everybody really cares and — and is trying to show their expression of sorrow right now, but at the end of the day, Larry, where were all these people the last 10 years, the last 15 years of Corey’s life?" he asked.

"Where were all these people to lend a hand out, to reach out to him and say, you know, you’re a legend … you’re an amazingly talented, wonderful person who’s really never gone out of his way to hurt anybody other than himself," Feldman added.

Wait… Corey Haim was a former teen idol… and he was in two successful movies. But a legend?

While other young actors from his time were dedicated to and refining their craft, Haim and Feldman were party-boys. At a time when other young actors were working diligently to recreate themselves and move beyond the typecasting of their youth, Haim was in and out (and in and out) of rehab.

Feldman paints the Oakwood Apartments, where Haim lived with his dying mother, as a place for the “down and out” and those living “month-to-month”. The cheapest two-bedroom apartment in that complex, which is a very comfortable, very nice, middle to upper-middle class complex, is $1200 to $1500/month. I lived there myself, as did Neil Patrick Harris (of RENT and Dougie Howser, MD fame) and dozens of Hollywood actors, writers, producers, etc.

Believe me, there are many places in the Los Angeles area that are far more accurately the homes of those living “month-to-month”.

Don’t get me wrong, I am pleased to know that in the final months of his life, Haim was taking care of his mom, who was undergoing cancer treatment. I am glad that he was trying to stay clean. And I am sorry that his life was cut short, based on his choices. Addiction is a disease, and without doubt, it had a grip on Haim that he didn’t seem to be able to shake. That’s tragic.

The loss of any young person to drugs or alcohol is a tragedy.

But let’s not get caught up in the histrionics and pretend suddenly that we lost a “legend”. Let’s recognise that the suffering Haim experienced was self-created and self-sustained. And let’s make that something that inspires us to look at our own lives, and take responsibility for our own choices.

May Corey Haim rest in peace, and may his loved ones be comforted at this time of loss.

Namasté

khenpo gurudas sunyatananda

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“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa —
Crown Jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

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Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Khenpo Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.