Click HERE to watch video Was Jimmy Buffett's Death Coincidental or Ironic?
I ask because coincidence and irony are words people often mix up.
Simply put, coincidence means the act or condition of coinciding.
On the other hand, irony means using words to express something different from, and often opposite to, their literal meaning.
An artist named Art is… coincidental.
That someone named the fear of long words with a long word, in this case, hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia is… ironic.
Within weeks before and after Jimmy Buffett's death, several other great musicians, including Gary Wright (Dreamweaver), Steve Harwell (Smashmouth), Jack Sonni (Dire Straits), Robbie Robertson (The Band), Sinéad O'Connor (Nothing Compares 2 U), Astrud Gilberto (The Girl from Ipanema), Tina Turner (you already know!), and more died as well.
Sad as they are, the timing of those deaths is a coincidence.
There is no reason why the dates of those people's passings were close to each other on the calendar other than they were close to each other on the calendar.
Throughout his career, Jimmy Buffett extolled the virtues of song, suds, sea, and sun.
In Margaritaville, he sang: “Nibblin' on sponge cake, watchin' the sun bake.”
In Cheeseburger in Paradise, he sang about “Drinkin' lots of carrot juice and soakin' up rays.”
In One Particular Harbour, he sang, “But now I think about the good times, down in the Caribbean sunshine.”
One of Buffett's songs was even titled Island in the Sun.
Was Jimmy Buffett's Death Coincidental or Ironic?
Jimmy Buffett's death was due to a rare skin cancer known as Merkel Cell Carcinoma, believed to be caused by sun exposure.
That's ironic.
CNN says, “Merkel Cell Carcinoma typically shows up in areas that are often exposed to the sun.”
In his version of Stars Fell on Alabama, Jimmy Buffett described Mobile, Alabama, as “my hometown.” Following in Buffett's footsteps, my friend and running partner, Dr. Kristin Haushalter, moved her family and her dermatology practice from Alabama to Miami.
Although Kristin loves our running group and her new hometown, she doesn't like the number of people who come to her office with advanced skin cancer.
Especially because skin cancer is mostly preventable.
When she asked why her patients hadn't worn sunscreen or covered up, they commonly answered, “Sunblock is sticky,” “UV protective clothing is ugly,” or “I forgot to put it on.”
Dr. Haushalter had a brainstorm. Instead of scolding her patients, she and her partner created BelaSol. As she says, “We design flattering, functional, comfortable, sexy, and safe clothes to protect against UV damage. Our customers enjoy the sun in style without worrying about harmful rays.”
The American Cancer Society says if caught early, the chance of living at least five years after diagnosis is over 75%. But if the cancer has spread, the likelihood of five-year survival drops below 25%.
Because it's easier to stay out of trouble than get out of trouble, blocking the sun's rays in the first place is preferable to removing skin cancers after they take hold.
If Jimmy Buffett had done that, perhaps he'd still be with us, enjoying his life and making us smile.
In his song Volcano, Buffett sang, “I don't want to land on no Three Mile Island; don't want to see my skin a-glow.”
Sadly, THAT'S ironic.
Unfortunately, and it is coincidentally, ironic, that there are so many things in life that we need and/or love, that can be deleterious to our health! Like, why on earth couldn’t God make ice cream or Oreos into health foods?! Easy to do for Him/Her since It’s creating the rules of everything, eh? “Sun, good,… but bad”, wtf?
I’m jus sayin’ if I had been consulted about it all, there would most likely be less irony… (and more Raisenets.)
Love your posts, Bruce. Keep up the great work.
Russ.
That’s the problem, Russ. They don’t ask you first!
Kristin is a sharp cookie! Most people would have just bemoaned that the solution wasn’t out there. She did something about it instead. Bet she’ll save lives!
Agreed, Milo. Besides applauding her concern for others and her entrepreneurial spirit, I love how she made her new efforts congruent with her interests and career. Seems like a perfect extension of her passions.
Thanks for weighing in.
As always, outstanding. Thank you for the interesting, amusing, insightful, and memorable thoughts.
Thank you Alan!
Of course, Jimmy (and even we, Bruce, a decade – or in your case, a bit more- behind him) grew up in the Deep South, long before there was anything known as sunscreen. There was no SPF. No PABA. Just oil and lotion to help soften your skin while it was crisping up.
I’m betting Jimmy, just like me, and maybe you, too, had more crippling sunburns in his youth than he could count. We knew they were painful and a little embarrassing. But we didn’t know back then that they would kill us.
So yes, diligently applying SPF 60 and wearing nicely-designed protective clothing may have made a difference.
But in his and “our” cases, regular screenings with a dermatologist like your friend, are critical.
Jimmy Buffett gave me a boatload of smiles and some really good repertoire to play and sing over the years.
But the greatest gift he gave me was the reminder that the party will end a lot sooner if we don’t take care of ourselves.
Fins up! Bubbles, too!
I’m no dermatologist or even a doctor, Keith. I have an art degree, so please don’t listen to me for medical advice.
I read an article that said if you had more than three blistering sunburns in your youth and have freckles on your shoulders, you’re a prime candidate for skin cancer.
Growing up in Miami Beach, I had more than three blistering sunburns a year, and my shoulders look like they could have War & Peace written on them in Braille, so I know exactly what you mean.
There’s a joke I’ve heard a few times when I’ve been boating or diving in the Keys”
Q: “How can you tell the difference between a professional fishing guide and his client?”
A: “Long pants.”
Ask me how I know it’s true…
Assignment: Use Irony or coincidence in every sentence of a short story about cancer and the value of UV clothing.
I am a Miami native, so it is no coincidence I grew up barefoot and shirtless, hanging out on the water, and got skin cancer early and often.
Ironically, as a concert sound engineer, an early “spot” appeared on the top of my ear; the resulting surgery altered my hearing and ended my live sound mixing career.
But both ironic and a coincidence; in retirement, I moved back to my small beachfront island, but this time, full-cover, UPF 50 hoodies are available, which are both fashionable, cooler, and far more comfortable than the smothering sunscreens…
You get an A in the assignment, Charles. Sorry it cost you so much to get there. Thanks for sharing.
Haven’t written in a while, great message, thanks as always for your insight. All good up here in Central Florida. L’Shana Tova.
Thanks Ellen. Great to hear from you.
Bruce, I haven’t shared words with you in a long time, weather or whether may be the sunshine’s or I’m dim-witted. Either, or Reading your post puts a smile on my face, or I’m glad to read your post to remind me how much I appreciate you always capturing the moment of reflections of time.
Whatever it was, Al, I’m happy this post made you smile. Thanks for letting me know.
I have been thinking this all along since I heard Buffet’s diagnosis was skin cancer. I think you are the only person who has written about the connection, so far.
Hmm, was the 2nd thing I thought of, Ana, after “I can’t believe he’s gone.”