A Tribute to Gene Hackman

It was disheartening to find out that one of my favorite actors died along with his wife and dog. I'm not into being a "fan." Well, maybe when I was a teenager, but as an adult, I don't chase people down, grab them, or try to photograph them. If I like someone, it would be because I like them for who they are, and their talent as an actor, musician, or artist, and not their status. Gene Hackman was one of my all-time favorite people. I have had run ins with some nasty people and their offspring in Hollywood, and he was not like that.

Once long ago, he stood behind me in line with his friend when I was picking up my car from the service department. I turned discreetly to glance over because my brother had asked me if it was him. Hackman realized that he had been spotted, and gave me a big old smile. The vibes that I got from him, and my intuition told me that this guy was humble, kind, and friendly. I'll always remember that day, and it makes me so sad to hear about what happened to him, and his family.

The two awful things here are that according to the papers, his and his wife's death may not have been natural deaths, and two, no one knew about it for two whole weeks! If my family doesn't hear from me for a day, They'll call the police, the fire department, the county sheriff, and who knows who else. Not a single person tried to get in touch with them for two weeks?

When I lived abroad, a student didn't show up to class for a few days, and our teacher was asking the entire class if anybody knew what happened to him, and where he lived, because she was worried. She asked us to go check-in on him, and see if he needs help.

I had a French neighbor at the time who spoke incessantly, and I dreaded running into her everyday. Then one day, I realized that I hadn't heard from her for two days. I knocked on her door, to see if she was alright.  She was so happy, because apparently, no one else cared about her, not even her parents. She said that she had been sick. I offered to get her soup and medicine. She wasn't even my friend, and I got worried all the same.

I call or text my friends and family regularly. I want to make sure that they're doing okay. I think that it's important to look out for people we care about.

Rest in peace Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa, and dog. You will be missed.