I, like so many others was saddened to see the death of Whitney Houston. She became famous just before I went deaf so I sort of remember some of her songs. She indeed had a rare talent. It sounds like from the initial reports that her death was at least partially caused by her addition to drugs and alcohol. Of course Elvis, and quite a few other rich and famous people have had a similar ending.

I’m sure Whitney had an entourage of people constantly around her to grant her every desire. She was certainly rich beyond what anyone of us common folks can even imagine. Why is it that so many with so much end up with tragic deaths? This brings to mind a song by one of my most favorite groups from the 1960s which was  a Simon and Garfunkel They had a song entitled Richard Cory.  Even after almost fifty years I can still recite much of those lyrics about how a poor guy who is struggling just to get along couldn’t understand how Richard Cory could be so unhappy to take his own life. I recently learned that this song was actually based on a poem written in the late 1800s by Edwin Arlington Robinson. Here is his poem.

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,  We people on the pavement looked at him:  He was a gentleman from sole to crown,  Clean-favoured and imperially slim. 

And he was always quietly arrayed,  And he was always human when he talked;  But still he fluttered pulses when he said,  “Good Morning!” and he glittered when he walked. 

And he was rich, yes, richer than a king,  And admirably schooled in every grace:  In fine — we thought that he was everything  To make us wish that we were in his place.  So on we worked and waited for the light,  And went without the meat and cursed the bread,  And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, 

Went home and put a bullet in his head.

The fact that Richard, Whitney, Elvis, and many others had tragic endings is an affirmation of the old say “Money does not buy happiness”.  Those of us who by comparison have very little simply can’t understand how those much richer than us can be so unhappy.