"You will fly and you will crawl, God knows even Angels fall..."

As much as I love the entertainment industry, I don't usually get very emotional over the death of celebrities. While I know it's sad, I've never really understood getting worked up over the death of someone you've never met. However, that changed at about 4:39 p.m. on Tuesday, January 22, 2008.

For some reason the death of Heath Ledger has hit me really hard. I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe it's because I've been a fan of his since the first time I saw 10 Things I Hate About You almost a decade ago (don't laugh, I was about 15 and that smile could win over anybody). Maybe it's because he was so young and good looking. Maybe it's because he's left behind a 2-year-old daughter who will only know her father through the movies he's made. Or, maybe it's because I saw so many good things in his future. For years I believed he would become one of the Hollywood's greats - a legendary actor/director with multiple Academy Awards on his mantle.

Heath Ledger should have had a brilliant career. He was already well on his way. He was an amazing actor and by all accounts a good person. Sure, he wasn't perfect, but then, nobody is.

Since Tuesday I've been reading as much as I can about Heath, focusing on stories about his life, as thinking about his death is too sad. My favorite story was sent into CNN by a Dan Bova from Larchmont, NY:

"Once when I was driving in Brooklyn, I got a flat tire. As I was jacking up my car, this deep voice from behind me said, "Need a hand?" It was Heath Ledger. I couldn't believe it. He helped jack up my car and change the tire. He was really good with tools!"

No matter what the circumstances of Heath's death, this is how I choose to remember him. Despite his fame, he was not above helping a stranger on the street. He was a compassionate person, a caring father and a talented actor. I believe we were just beginning to see what he was capable of, and I am saddened by the fact that we'll never have the opportunity to watch him achieve everything I know he would have in his life. He accomplished so much in 28 years, who knows what he could have done with 28 more.

Rest in Peace, Heath. You will never be forgotten.

I'm Still Here

Hello everyone! I realize it's been a long time since I've posted anything here; I apologize for my absence. One of my New Year's resolutions is to be better about posting here. It's kind of hard to use this site as a reference for my resume if I don't keep it updated. Work got crazy with the holidays, but hopefully things will slow down now. I have a couple blogs planned out, so hopefully I'll be posting more regularly from now on.

I hope everyone had a great holiday and Happy New Year!