When I heard “Robin Williams died” and “Depression”, the first thing I though of was:
Sono Grimaldi!
For those of you who just replied, “Huh?”:
[spoiler]Supposedly, the basis of this story is true, although it’s probably more apocryphal than fact.
One day, a woman goes to a psychiatrist and tells him that she’s depressed. The psychiatrist writes something down on his pad, and gives her the paper; she looks at it, and gives the doctor a puzzled look. “Do what it says; I can almost guarantee results,” he says. A few days, the woman returns, and tells the doctor, “You were right! I’m happier than I have ever been!”
Over the next few months, the doctor does the same thing for his patients who appear to have the signs of depression, and, without fail, the mysterious cure works its wonders. Word spreads about the “miracle worker,” and one day, a man comes into the office. “Doctor, you must help me. I have been depressed for many months now, and nobody has been able to help me. I can do my job, but I don’t get any enjoyment out of life. I fear that if I don’t solve this problem soon, it will drive me to kill myself.”
The doctor pulls out his pad, writes down his “mystery cure,” and gives it to the man. The man reads the note, and a tear forms in his eye. “What’s the matter?”
“I…I can’t do this.”
“Sure you can. Just read what it says.”
The man does: “Go to the circus.”
“I can’t help you,” the doctor continues, “but I know someone who can. The world’s funniest man - Grimaldi the Clown! If he can’t make you forget your troubles, then I fear for you.”
The man just sits there, visibly shaken, almost as if he has been given a terminal diagnosis.
“What’s the problem? Are you afraid of the circus?”
“No.”
“Do you fear clowns?”
“No.”
“Do you have problems traveling?”
“No.”
“Then what is the problem?”
The man pauses, then stares right at the doctor. “Doctor, you don’t understand…Sono Grimaldi!”
“Excuse me?”
“I Am Grimaldi the Clown!”[/spoiler]
