This article was borrowed from someone who said, "Years ago, I learned something interesting about Robin Williams that changed how I watched his movies. I never booked him for an event, but his office once sent over his rider.
For those who don't know, a rider is a list of things an artist needs or wants for an event—everything from bottled water and special room arrangements to sound and lighting requirements. You can learn a lot about a person from their rider. It's where rock bands ask for green M&Ms (which is a clever way to test attention to detail). It's also where an environmentalist might ask for a private jet to get to an event but demand a hybrid car once they arrive so people can see they care about the environment.
But when I saw Robin Williams' rider, I was shocked by one of his requirements. For every movie or event he did, the company hiring him had to hire a certain number of homeless people and put them to work.
After learning that, I looked at a Robin Williams movie differently.
He also worked with needy people in his free time but used fame to encourage companies to help. He made sure that production teams also learned the value of giving people a chance to work and get back on their feet.
I wonder how many companies kept doing this after he was gone and how many people got the chance to work and earn money, even if it was just temporary, because of his actions.
Robin Williams used his influence in such a positive way. Let's hope that his impact lives on even without him. Thanks, Robin Williams—not just for the laughs but for being an example."
I ran a vegan restaurant in Taunton, Somerset, UK; 40% of my staff were from challenging backgrounds, either personally, socially, or had some conditions.
Before that, during my Butler days, I either washed dishes at the weekly senior people's lunches at the community centre in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire or cooked lunch in a monastery.
I am looking forward to getting back in 2025 more of such joyful activities.
See if you can do something in your way!
After all, how else can we show our gratitude for being so blessed?
Wishing you all blessed holidays!
Left to right in the photo are: Beth Davis, Denise Payne, Sarah Winton, Amy Bloomfield, Sophie Batten, Samantha Manning and Tony Michael.