RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

This is more of a public service post.  It is not about genealogy per se, but it is about friends and family.

I was 2 years ahead of Phil in high school, and although I did not know him personally, several of my close friends acted with him in school plays, and I distinctly remember his performances in The Crucible, M*A*S*H, and Death of a Salesman.

I was angry when I first heard the news, and then very sad and nostalgic as I heard old classmates and friends express sympathy and shock. We all need to learn 3 things which will make Phil's death less of a waste: 1) There should be no stigma to seeking treatment for addiction, addiction can happen even if you use just once- the chemistry of these drugs will cause you to need more each time to get the same high. 2) Treatment has to be available to anyone who needs it, without financial or legal barriers. 3) Talk with your children, friends, etc about addiction. Even if they would not even think about using or even experimenting, they will run into someone who does.  Look at us this week.