Tommy Kapai: Keep a little spark of madness

There are an abundance of theories and speculations about why Robin Williams took his own life.

What a week.

They say it can be a long time in politics and what started as a bad joke with, first, a Facebook quote from Robin Williams on politicians ended in the last laugh from the leaning tower of comedy, who took his own life and his fans with him.

There were many misquotes and headline speculations about why Robin Williams took his own life, one of them being the $30million divorce settlement from his second wife and perhaps this quote from his stand-up comedy routine was an insight into what made Mork leave us without saying goodbye:

"Divorce is expensive. I used to joke they were going to call it 'all the money', but they changed it to 'alimony'. It's ripping your heart out through your wallet."

The Facebook quote at the start of the week five days before his death was perfect timing.

"Politicians are like diapers: eventually they fill up with the same stuff and have to be changed."

From what Nicky Hager has revealed in his book, Dirty Politics, there could well be some nappy changing needed by National.

Is it a game changer for this election? Maybe not, but if round two comes out before polling day - and I am sure it will via whoever owns the copyright that leaked it to Nicky - then no amount of potty training or nappy changing will keep Crusher Collins and her well-oiled whale mates from exiting stage left.

Robin Williams on fights: "Never pick a fight with an ugly person; they've got nothing to lose."

Robin Williams on golf: "Golf is the only sport where a white man can dress up like a black pimp and no-one takes any notice."

Besides the pink boots on a Bledisloe Cup footy field or a bit of breakdancing after a try is scored in a Warriors game, the dress code of a sport steeped in ethics and tradition, as gold is, must surely be more about Mrs Doubtfire dressing in drag than it is about Nonu Nonu and his dreads.

Perhaps the only exception to this rule is Mr Full of Fire, Hori Bop, who is completely comfortable in his class clown act and God bless him for hitchhiking all the way to Invercargill on Friday to support the Steamers.

I will gladly share this next Williams quote with you, Hori:

"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it."

True that, bro!

Robin Williams on love: "Real loss is only possible when you love something more than you love yourself."

Having lost our Mum recently we now know what real love and real loss is. Rest in peace, Mum and Mork.

Robin Williams on bad times: "You'll have bad times, but it'll always wake you up to the good stuff you weren't paying attention to."

I guess we will never know, but it seems Patch Adams couldn't cure himself in time to wake up to the good stuff he had going on in his life.

I have always been a believer in the healing power of humour and when we learn to harness that power and prescribe it as medicine we could well save ourselves and the world at the same time.

Perhaps it was humour that has brought Garth George back as a columnist and I for one am extremely happy about that.

Nau mai haere mai, Garth.

Robin Williams on changing the world: "Comedy is acting out optimism and no matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world."

Tautoko, bro (I agree). It's what makes me spend my Sundays writing columns as I am sure it does for Garth, Marcel and Richard.

The recent Ted X Talks in Tauranga plus "Caught In the Act" Poetry this Friday at the Mauao Performing Arts Centre are all testament to these wise words.

And the final word on a week that belongs to a stand-up guy who gave us all a spark of his magical madness:

"Life is fleeting. And if you're ever distressed, cast your eyes to the summer sky when the stars are strung across the velvety night.

"And when a shooting star streaks through the blackness, turning night into day ... make a wish and think of me. Make your life spectacular.

"I know I did."

Tommy Kapai is a Tauranga author and writer. broblack@xtra.co.nz