Farewell, Carrie Fisher ... And Let’s Grab a Coffee Sometime by Mike Broemmel

I can remember what I was doing when I heard Elvis Presley died. Same with Ronald Reagan. But, beyond that, I don’t get overwrought about the passing of a celebrity, even an untimely death. I am not one of those people that feels a close connection with famous folks merely because they are in my living room on the television.

In hearing today that Carrie Fisher died, my reaction is not what I normally experience. I am deeply saddened by the truly untimely passing of this writer and actress. (I relate to her more by a vocation I share … shared … with her.) I feel a hole in my tiny world right now. It is completely unexpected, and yet it is profound.

I remember Carrie Fisher from when I was very young. She is not much older than I am, although I incessantly lie about my age. I lie so much, half the time I don’t know how old I really am.

The first movie I ever saw, when I was five or six, was The Singing Nun, starring Ms. Fisher’s Mom, Debbie Reynolds. I knew Carrier Fisher as Debbie Reynold’s daughter. The Singing Nun is based on a real Catholic nun, who recorded a song that both she and Ms. Reynold’s popularized – Dominique. I can still hear the tune today. Sadly, the real life Singing Nun, also known as Sister Smile, ended up taking her own life in the 1980s.

And then came the summer before my freshman year in high school. The first ever installment in the Star Wars franchise, with Carrier Fisher as Princess Leia. For generations since, and for generations to come, the iconic role of Princess Leia will be something as close to immortal as anything on our frail planet can be.

But, her acting career is not really what causes me to feel a loss … to feel lost … today. Ms. Fisher’s own life journey has served as an inspiration to me, and to others as well. As happens, Ms. Fisher’s life went off the rails, as did my own.

Postcards from the Edge is a compelling look into her own struggles. Her honest efforts to confront the circumstances of her life, and right the ship, is something that I know has inspired many, many people … including me. I didn’t realize how important Ms. Fisher’s journey through the good and the bad is to me, until I learned she was gone.

And a word directly to Ms. Fisher … when my time comes to depart life on this planet, one of the first things I want to do is have a coffee with you in the great beyond. (I am sure coffee is available. It has to be.) In that we will have all of eternity lying in front of us, please squeeze me in. That would be an amazing moment for me.