Katie Katie Parsons is the creator of Mumbling Mommy and is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist. She works from her home office on the east coast of Florida. Most often she writes about life in a combined family of five children and what it's like being a full time work-from-home parent. Feel free to pitch guest post ideas or just drop her a line at katie@mumblingmommy.com.

I’m never quite sure how to react to news of a celebrity death. I usually just try to avoid all coverage and not think too much about it. Sure, it’s sad. But so are a lot of other deaths that do not get media attention.

If you are reading this, I am going to assume that you have a lifestyle that includes the Internet and probably television and newspapers. I do not need to rehash the details of Whitney Houston’s death in that case. You know what happened. In the days following her death, a lot of focus was placed on her raw talent. I heard the phrase “angel from God” more times than I care to admit. Yeah, the girl could sing. One of my favorite songs of all time is a duet that Whitney did with Mariah Carey called “When You Believe” and that’s due in part to Whitney’s amazing vocal prowess. Maybe that is even part of the tragedy — that something so unique and beautiful is now gone and that for at least part of her life, she squandered that talent through drug use and other bodily abuses. So maybe it is sad, but not in a “Why God?” sort of way. More like a “Why Whitney?” sort of way.

Still, of all the updates that I saw on my Facebook and Twitter feeds this past week, the one that made me feel the most anguish was from a high school friend whose brother-in-law had been killed after colliding head-on with a semi-trailer on Highway 421 in Northwest Indiana. He was only 41 and left behind a wife and daughters. Alcohol played a role, giving the entire tragedy a deeper level of emotion and undoubtedly leaving his family to struggle with the many “whys” for years to come. It was sort of like the Whitney Houston ordeal on a personal level and it effected me more deeply than the bombardment about the pop diva from everywhere else.

This is just my own two cents, of course. I suppose my opinion could be considered insensitive.

Which brings me to our weekly poll.

What is your stance on celebrity deaths and coverage, especially the inundation of coverage in the past week regarding Whitney Houston? Answer the poll in the right-hand column and feel free to leave a comment below.

Let’s connect on social media too:

Mumbling Mommy on Facebook

Mumbling Mommy on Twitter

Mumbling Mommy on Pinterest

 

Category: Featured

Tags: alcohol