Yesterday, a great soul and brilliant artist, Harold Ramis, passed away. He was an actor, writer, comedian, and director who started with Second City TV and went on to help create such films as Animal House, Ghostbusters, Stripes, Caddyshack, Vacation, Analyze This and many others.

http://tinyurl.com/nh4d397

One of my favorites was the philosophical comedy, Groundhog Day, in which Bill Murray’s character wakes up as a jaded reporter churlishly covering Punxsutawny Phil’s edict every day, over and over again until he learns what he needs to grow: from the teachings of Buddha: that reincarnation into your suffering is your own choice and creation, from Sartre: that a mindful and authentic life is always an option even if you don’t fully understand your existence, and from Andie MacDowel’s character that love is the only rational and truthful explanation for any of what we do, what we feel, and why we live.

As with so many instant classics, we didn’t fully appreciate their glory because they were from an era of innocence and ease that was the 1980’s.  But make no mistake, Harold had a gift and many lessons to teach us and his movies and humor were his way to transform and elevate our world-soul. So again, thank you, Harold!  And if you want to stick around a bit longer as a ghost, we not gonna call anyone if that’s okay with you…