Goodbye, Carrie Fisher

I don't usually report on celebrity deaths, even in a year like 2016 where everyone to die is someone you love. I mean in a way that is kind of eye opening, seeing as everyone who dies inevitably has someone who has been deeply saddened by it, but I can't think of another year where the public conscience has been this greatly effected. Yet despite that, despite all the great talent, inspiration, and just general great people we've lost this year (Plus all the awful people who have succeeded this year), none have hurt quite as much as Carrie Fisher.

Professionally, Carrie wasn't just a big star in a big franchise. She was a professional. She was in plenty of big films such as When Harry Met Sally, Blues Brothers, Hannah & Her Sisters, etc. She was also a script doctor, working on dozens of films for most of her time in Hollywood, improving dialogue, bettering films, whether it was in front of the camera or behind the camera, Carrie was correcting every film she was a part of.

But I'm not here to talk about her work. I'm here to talk about her as a person. Carrie Fisher was an alcoholic. She was a drug addict. She had a mental illness. She was mocked for decades by the media and the Hollywood system. And you know what she did? She bounced back from all of that. She not only recovered from her problems, but she did everything in her power to help others as well that were going through similar issues. Carrie was honest, she didn't shy away from the issues of her past, or the fact that she got old, instead, she used it as a platform to speak up and help those that were going through similar problems. As a role model for people to know you didn't have to stay at rock bottom. Even if you do suffer from any issues, or if there are people out there that are doing nothing but making your life harder because they are nothing better than pathetic rats, that doesn't have to stop you from being a smart, funny, honest, helpful and overall a good person.

That's what Carrie was. She never shied away from her flaws and because of that, she was able to show the good underneath, She showed how talented she was, how entertaining she was, and how helpful she was. It's one thing for people to look up to Leia because of her bravery, maturity and intellect, but to find out the person behind the character offered that and so much more? That is a true role model.

And it breaks my heart that she's gone.

Carrie Fisher, 1956-2016.