“If my life weren’t funny it would just be true, and that is unacceptable.” This is my all-time favorite quote and how I approach my life. These wise words were said by the late, great Carrie Fisher. Carrie was a ray of sunshine and honesty. I miss her.
Like most people my age, I became aware of Carrie in 1977. Five-year-old me thought she was perfection and a total badass. As I aged, I realized, as tough as Princess Leia was, Carrie was so much tougher and worthy of my respect and admiration.
Professionally Carrie was far more than an actress. She was a writer. I hold writers in the highest regard. Her book, Wishful Drinking, which was later turned into a Broadway show, and then an HBO special, is one of my favorite things ever. It is smart, hilarious, insightful and amazingly self-aware. Lord, her family was fucked up, but she kept on trucking.
Her books boldly and honestly addressed her mental health and substance abuse issues. As someone with my own mental health struggles, I have always appreciated how open she was. I believe it is people like her, who openly talk about mental health struggles, that make a difference and help normalize it.
People will stop you in line at the grocery store to tell you about their bunions. Why can we not talk about depression or anxiety openly?
Throughout my life, I would always get excited when Carrie turned up in a movie. I remember watching When Harry Met Sally for the first time in college and my main takeaway was, “I was just so happy to see Carrie Fisher.” Recently my sister texted to say she was watching The Burbs. That movie is a favorite of my family. I replied, “I just love Carrie in that.” Both of these are small rolls, but she was great.
Just last week I was scrolling social media and a meme with her popped up—Star Wars is a very large part of my newsfeed. She was on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and her hair was just like mine—gray with a purple streak in front. I had never seen this image of her or her hair that way. It made me tear up. I feel such a strong connection to her and I took this as a sign. I also forwarded the image to my bestie and my husband.
When Carrie died in 2016, I was devastated. How could she be gone? Then her mom, Debbie Reynolds, died a day later and I could barely take it. While dysfunctional, their relationship was also beautiful. They just couldn’t be apart. Ever.
Even in death, Carrie kept her sense of humor. Her ashes were brought out at her memorial service in a giant Prozac capsule. I laughed through my tears. Carrie wanted us to laugh. She also wanted us to know life is fucking hard and some days just getting out of bed is a victory. I always try to remember that. Not all victories are huge.
The universe is a darker place without Carrie, but she, like the Force, is always with us.
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
