Asklemmy

When I was about 17 was looking at several full pages of names of people who died in 9/11 when looking at a news paper and started crying

I cry sometimes when I see what is happening to the people and babies of the world

I cried when those women in Sudan were at a hospital and rebels showed up to rape and murder them then trapped them inside the clinic and burned it down

The world is a sad place with so much need for mourning

Maybe not full-on "cry" but I have gotten teary-eyed more than a few times over the decades when a favorite (and unarguably world-class) musician dies. Eddie Van Halen, Neil Peart and Jeff Beck come to mind right off the bat

Celebrities, no. Pets, definitely.

Nah, but a couple surprised me with how much they saddened me because I'd always thought it was kind of stupid to get genuinely upset about the deaths of celebrities you don't know. Sometimes your cognitive opinions take a backseat without your permission and you just feel actually mournful about someone who has so little direct connection and who's worldly contributions are almost always in the entertainment space. For me that was David Bowie and Trevor Moore. Both of these surprised me because it's not like I was a hardcore David Bowie fan so it didn't feel like that death should have hit me particularly hard and Trevor, I still can't figure out why that'd upset me so much. I mean I loved his sketch comedy but I'd largely forgotten about him at the time, I think it might have something to do with him being so young as well as all the laughs he'd given us.

I wept a bit for Stephen Hawking. He was a rare, special human. When I read what was written on his grave, there next to Newton and Darwin: "Here lies what was mortal of Stephen Hawking 1942 - 2018" I wept a bit. Still do. Did a bit more just now writing that to be honest.

Omayra Sánchez. Brave in the face of a needless death.

I cried when they canceled The Venture Brothers.

My best friends and I watched every new episode when they aired while we were in college. After I graduated we all pretty much drifted apart, but when Publick and Hammer would actually get around to putting out another season it felt like I was back in that dorm lobby on that smelly couch, watching this show on a huge rear protection TV, with a group of people that were closer to me than anyone ever before or since.

When they canceled the show it felt like there was this unicorn at the zoo, and then one day the zookeeper just went out into the enclosure, blew its brains out, shrugged, and announced "Too expensive to feed!" I was devastated.

Charles Bradley. He lived on the streets for most of his life. When he became famous he died very shortly after :(

Johnny Gaudreau. Hockey player. Johnny Hockey was one of my favorites that wasn't on my favorite team. He was a small guy, who proved everyone wrong. He was a good dude from all the clips and interviews I've seen over the years.

I saw the comment that broke it on reddit, some random guy in the Phillies GDT. Said "Johnny Gaudreau is dead". Spent the night following the rumors until it was confirmed by a retired league ref.

He and his brother, Matt, were in town for their sisters wedding, staying at their dad's house. They were cycling and a drunk driver killed them both, only stopped because the bikes were still under the truck. His wife was pregnant at the time too.

I cycle, I've got brothers and it just hit me so hard. I was fucked up about it for a week at least.

Gord Downey of the Tragically Hip.

His music was songs of more than one generation of Canadians. I caught the last few songs of the live streamed final concert. I almost missed it because I was on graveyard shift and slept through an alarm.

I caught my favorite song "Ahead by a Century" and since he passed, I haven't been able to listen to that song again. When it comes on the radio I either turn it off or leave the room. It is too sad to hear. It has been harder in the last two years because my sister died of the same brain cancer as him. She played music with a few Canadian bands but never met them.

When I was about 16 I had to make a conscious decision to not allow myself to feel as much towards the terrible things happening in the world. I would get so deep into feeling that it would wreck me for days sometimes. One day I just chose not to care, as if they were made up stories that I didn’t need to pay attention to. It worked but It changed my personality for years until I realized how to balance it, sort of. It still happens sometimes.

Yes. At the memorial for Steve Jobs on Apple's campus. People were speaking in moving ways about their relationships with him. It made it more personal. I can't imagine crying over someone I didn't know without context like that.