After admitting his cancer had returned, and retreating gracefully from his blog, Roger Ebert is dead just a few days later, at the age of 70. He is revered in the US, not so well known here. A few links indicate the scale of his achievements…
Roger Ebert, who was always a lovely stylist, wrote a wonderful piece about death which Salon republished in September last year.
“Kindness” covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn’t always know this and am happy I lived long enough to find it out.
