A woman dies. Her fans are mourning her, of course. There's also quite a few critical notes being made. Like, how did it come to this? Some say 'she chose that lifestyle'. People who think it's a choice to become addicted do not have the faintest understanding of the nature of addiction. Being an addict is not a chosen lifestyle. Choosing to start doing drugs (and by drugs I mean ALL drugs, including alcohol and prescription meds) IS a choice. I for one find it hard to put two and two together hearing mrs. Houston thank the lord in her Grammy acceptance speech over and over again. If the lord is such a beacon of hope and support in your life, then what the hell are you still snorting cocaine for?? Why did you snort it in the first place? Surely the lord had more to offer than a temporary high and some seriously rotten nose linings. I just fail to understand how someone can say "the lord Jesus is my saviour" and start doing drugs in the first place. Apparently, the good lord failed her on some major points. Then again, even though apparently she was a believer (not to be mixed up with a belieber, please) and apparently somehow was perceived as a spiritual person, that doesn't mix with a preference for going clad in coats stitched together from numerous dead furry mammals, either. I suppose it's like doing a split all the time, trying to find some middle ground between your rather humble, musical, spiritual (gospels!) background and the high life - literally - of the international music jet set. And ultimately that will do you in, unless you step away from the spotlights and give yourself a chance to have some peace and quiet and assess what it is that really makes you tick.
Something I find hard to understand is why people up there in the upper echelons of pop royalty don't invest in a spiritual counsellor more often. Of course you need the PA and the dresser and the hair stylist or wig artist and the lady who curls your eyelashes like no other in the world flown in before every gig, but in this case I think investing in someone who would serve as a personal counsellor would have been a sound investment. Even an ex-husband with a bad track record can't put you off your balance if you have someone rock solid you can trust to be there and help you deal with whatever life throws at you. Even if this person had to be on the payroll because you didn't feel like trusting anyone of the people in your inner circle anymore, it might just have been enough to save your ass.
It's a shame there was nobody like that around. She's not the only one struggling, thousands of people die each year because they can't handle their own lives anymore and the regular authorities way of intervening is too little too late.
