A life well lived

When word of actor Heath Ledger’s death broke, my initial reaction was Heath who? The news always included the tag: Oscar Nominated star from the critically acclaimed movie “Broke Back Mountain.” I still had no idea who the guy was. It wasn’t until I saw clips from “A Knight’s Tale” and “The Patriot” that I was able to put a face with the name.

My second reaction was, let’s see a successful movie actor dies young, could drugs be involved? Sadly, all too predictably, drugs were reported to be strewn around the body. Apparently Ledger was taking about six different prescription drugs for various conditions. The guy was 28 years old and taking more drugs than my 80 year old father in law who has arthritis, heart trouble and Alzheimer’s. How can that be?

Anyone who watches the six o’clock news knows. Drug companies have developed a relief for every human condition from a runny nose to a dry scalp. The drug companies, having invested millions in the R&D of such drugs, aggressively advertise their wares as instant relief from a bottle for whatever ails you. When, as required by law, the list of possible side effects is read, I always wonder who would take such stuff?

But there is a market. The aches and pains of everyday life and the reversal of the aging process it seems is only a dozen or so pills away taken three times a daily. The things that mom and dad lived with from thinning grey hair to aging skin can now be done away with if the application, ingestion or injection of certain chemicals. There’s no such thing as aging gracefully anymore. And what’s really shameful is that your federal government is subsidizing this prescription nightmare that promises only to get worse.

The third thing that struck me was that it must be tough to be young, rich and famous. That said, I wouldn’t mind giving it go. Hell, I wouldn’t mind getting ten years back never mind the rich and famous part and even ten years wouldn’t make me young by Ledger’s standards. But alas, life is not a dress rehearsal. You don’t get do overs. You can only hope to learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others and go forward.

The last thing that struck me was, as sad and tragic a death as Ledger’s was, does such a life merit the 24-7 coverage it has received and will continue to receive long after the Batman movie he worked on is released? I Googled “Heath Ledger” this morning and got over 14 million listings.

For perspective, I Googled Lt. Michael P. Murphy and got a little over 200,000 listings. Lt Murphy, you might recall, was the leader of a SEAL team. He was killed in action in Afghanistan fighting to save his men and defend his country. He received the Medal of Honor for his heroism. He was 29 years old.

What has just struck me is that there is 70 times more attention being paid in this country to actor that has killed himself, intentionally or not, with drugs than to an American hero who was cut down in battle defending his men and the country. I find that more puzzling than drug companies spending millions developing and marketing a cure for dry earlobe syndrome. The dispirit attention being paid these two young lives, one a life privilege the other a life of service, is more puzzling than some young actor willing to risk a long list of possible side effects up to and including premature death to get relief from some manufactured syndrome.

But hey, I was 20 years in the Marine Corps and rarely go to the movies. But I ask, of these two young men, whose life was better lived? Whose life is a better model for our sons? Whose life deserves more attention?