Heath

On the subway last night, I made note of a conversation between two twenty-something men who sported a bohemian appearance.  One man, in a full-length oversized black coat spoke through the bars separating the platform from those who paid and those who didn't.  The other man wore an extra-large army green coat and huge, black, motorcycle boots.

Black coat man: "He did that homosexual movie and that violated his spirit.  He played gay and the spiritual side of hisself felt trespassed on and couldn't handle it so he killed himself.  He got a little girl and she's not going to know her Daddy, just that gay movie."

I wrote down these remarks because I found their proud bigotry amusing.  I assumed they were talking about Brad Renfro, the young actor discovered in the movie "The Client" who'd recently been found dead from a possible drug overdose.  I'm not familiar with Renfro's film repertoire, it's possible he portayed a gay man at some point.

I was sickened when I got home to find out they were discussing Heath Ledger.  I don't know Heath Ledger, have never even worked with some one who worked with Heath Ledger and yet I'm thoroughly sickened and depressed.  He was 28-years-old with the whole world in front of him.  He was successful, fairly intelligent it seemed and willing to take risks in his career.  It's horrifying to think that some one with that much going for him would be dead before the age of 30.

I imagine I'm even more saddened by the fact that Ledger left behind a little girl similar to Eliza's age.  That poor little girl is going to grow up and never know her Daddy.  Worse, she might hear people say ridiculous things like I heard on the subway last night as they watch the movie that brought him an Oscar nomination.  From anything I've read, it seemed Ledger was a loving, doting Dad.  That poor little girl has been denied a kind and caring father.  

Daddies are important to their little girls, no matter what their ages.  Whatever I may think of C, I am so glad my daughter has a Daddy who loves her.  

Heath Ledger was apparently named after the character in "Wuthering Heights."  I'll confess to never having read that book (what kind of a writer are you?  My 10th grade English teacher had us read "Green Mansions" instead) but I know it's a tragedy.  Unfortunately, now Heath Ledger's story is a tragedy as well.