Dear Editor,
We lost another good one, Robert Redford. Born in Southern California, he grew up to be an environmental activist and a lover of human interest stories and a darn good actor.
Because his parents couldn’t afford a babysitter, they would drop him off at the public library where he would read for hours, learning from books what it is to be the good human being that he would grow up to be—doing good works for the environment and with creative storytelling.
From the first time I recall seeing him in the early sixties—he was an angel on “The Twilight: Nothing in the Dark”—and fondly remembering him in the movies “The Way We Were” and “Barefoot in the Park”, and the move he directed and produced, “A River Runs Through It”.
I was hooked. As well, the iconic movie “Jeremiah Johnson” birthed from Robert Redford’s fascination and respect for our frontiersmen and Native Americans, and his love for the American West. And the list from these goes on.
A whirlwind of movies and success with Best Actor awards, Golden Globe Awards, including the Cecile B. DeMille Award. He was blessed and we were blessed with his gifted talents that has left their mark and will always be remembered.
Not bad for someone who lost a baseball scholarship because he had a temporary bout with drinking. But he put it behind him and went on to have an amazing acting career. And a life touching lives in ways he would not have if he had stayed on his first path—his love for baseball. God had other plans for him.
And like they say, sometimes it takes a negative to push you towards a positive. Some can often relate, too. Robert Redford made good with his talents and success and nestled himself in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah and with his wife raised a family. One foot in Hollywood and one foot out.
He inspired and nurtured new talent at the Sundance Institute he founded. My daughter working in Park City would attend the Sundance Film Festivals with her sons that one should attend at least once to understand the significance it has made in the independent film industry.
Never taking his eye off what was happening with our environment and in our government, Robert Redford was vocal about his views. And made it crystal clear what he thought about Donald J. Trump. Calling out his inflammatory rhetoric and warned in an op-ed, “Moral Vaccuum”, saying,, “Another four years of this would degrade our country beyond repair.” That “We have a president who degrades everything he touches, a person who does not understand (or care?) that his duty is to defend our democracy.”
And shortly before passing, said this: “America is facing a dictator-like attack.” And just for the record, this is not hate rhetoric or extremism. This is a man born in 1936 that remembers what men without of control egos can do when they have immense power, like Hitler did, like Mussolini did, and like Stalin did, that remains with Russia Today.
What his concern was for the United States of America is like so many others with this to the past. They know when history is forgotten it can repeat itself.
Robert Redford was passionately in love with our country and its environment and loved people and all walks of life. He cared about their well-being and he took that to the grave with him and to the other side. He loved everything that was good and would try to protect it. Always listening to his better angels, like so many of us are trying to do.
How ironic but makes sense one of his first acting parts would be an angel. Robert Redford acted the part with realism and grace. A kind of grace that would play out through out his life. And just maybe I would like to think he’s earned himself a pair of wings of his own for all his good works and all the lives he has touched for the better.
JM
