What do you do when one of your idols growing up commits suicide? How do you react to that?
May 18th, 2017. Chris Cornell is found dead.
I woke up in the morning feeling rather refreshed. Slept good as hell. I unplugged my phone from the charger cord as it rested on the bedside table. I immediately checked my notifications from the past night and earlier in the morning (when I was still asleep). Finally, I see the post in our Groupme: "Chris Cornell committed suicide". At first I was in utter disbelief and honestly a bit confused. It was a name that I hadn't heard of in a while. A name that was once a beacon of hope for me when I was an angry teenager. A name that calmed me down when I needed it most.
Soon, I began scouring the internet to verify that what my friend had posted was true. Unfortunately, after a mere couple of searches I had my answer: "Death by Hanging". I immediately felt my stomach twist. I was gutted.
"Mortality." "Age." The first thoughts that came to mind. You see, I always thought I would be a 17 year old. No responsibility. No problems. No worries. Occasional anger. Rare heartbreak. But nothing too serious. Things have changed.
I'm 22 now and I've noticed a peculiar thing about life (and ultimately death). Life will continue with or without me. Life will continue with or without the people that inspire(d) you. Life will continue with or without the people you adore. Ultimately, life will continue with or without the ones you love. Granted I always knew that, but this event finally made it felt.
Although this revelation seems depressing. I think exactly the opposite. The fact that I could feel such strong emotions for someone I had never met gives a tremendous amount of meaning to me. "You are here. You are present. Your life matters whether you know that or not."
In the end, the feelings we have are very real. Even if one day they're lost and gone forever. So never sell your emotions short or play them down. Quite frankly they are the most precious things we possess. They give us purpose. They're the reason why we are here...
RIP CHRIS CORNELL! Your existence was not in vain. LONG LIVE GRUNGE ROCK!!!