Here’s part two of River’s message. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Know that I think about you, my cyber family, every day. I love you!
To refresh your memory, River answers a question about his previous beliefs:
River: I pretty much dabbled in spiritualism. I really felt that there was a spirit and an afterlife. And often, by doing these drugs, I could find that peace of mind in knowing that it was real. So, in my “final death scene,” there was no surprise for me. There was a relief that I wasn’t going to punish myself anymore. But there was no surprise in who was there, um, my family meant a lot to me. One of my biggest regrets was not staying as connected to them as I wanted to.
Me: After your death or during life?
River: During my life.
Me: Okay. Do you have other regrets?
(Long pause)
Jamie (chuckling): Pick two, River!
We both laugh.
River: Not enjoying nature.
Jamie: What he shows me, it looks like a sunset or a sunrise in a desert with big red rocks. Like being outside.
Me: Okay, anything else?
River: No, I can put a lot under regrets, but I really think I’m mislabeling them. They’re missed lessons. I missed my lesson in what to do with my fame. I thought in my head that I would allow myself to cut loose, and then, when that time was over, I would get back into my music.
Me: Was it your destiny to die when and how you did?
River: It had to be. It had to be; that’s how the story was written.
Me: Okay, but was it part of your spiritual blueprint or mission? And why? What was the purpose of such an early exit point?
River: It was meant to save me. It was meant to get me out of there.
Me: What were you here to learn, and what were you here to teach, River?
(Long pause)
Jamie: He kind of takes his hand and—you know how you take your knuckles on your fist and kind of rub them over your lip?
Me: Um hm.
Jamie: There’s no facial hair on him. He’s really clean-shaven, so it’s not like he’s pulling on a goatee or anything.
River: What was for me to learn? How to be part of a community. I think I can pinpoint it down to how to be a leader, but to lead from within, not to lead externally like with ego, with social status and with money. That was a real big struggle with me when I started making the status and the money, and I could lead externally. I could do it so easily, but it never felt right to me, because I couldn’t tune in to how to do it internally. But I was meant to be a leader; I was meant to stand out. I know it.
Me: Yeah.
River: What was I meant to teach other people? We could look back at the obvious and say, “Hey, don’t get into drugs!” But I think that’d be a pretty lame lesson.
(Pause)
River: I really hope I taught people about—it’s so ironic—
Jamie: His eyes—when I talk to Erik, Erik looks at me. He talks to me. When I look at River, his eyes will kind of go up and scan the roof line as he’s thinking, you know, he’s not looking directly at me.
River: It’s ironic, because I was so careless with my own life, but I feel like I was here to teach other people about the passion for taking care of other lives, be it environmental, be it animal rights, be it… (pause) I guess that was my biggest fault. I was better at taking care of other people, plants, animals, and not myself.
Me: That is ironic, River.
River: I’m hoping that’s what I left behind, but looking back, really, people don’t know me! They know me as my roles. They know me as my characters, as the words I memorized, as what I left in my art, my movies. Only a few people know me personally.
Me: Well, this is your chance to tell everybody who you really are, Sweetie. Do you want to add anything about who the real River Phoenix is? Will the real River Phoenix please stand up!
Jamie (laughing): He says the same thing at the same time!
River: Well, if I labeled myself, I would be a very passionate hippie. I was a musician first, not an actor, but yet I got put into that role. I really did not enjoy hurting other people, saying negative things. I needed attention and love.
Jamie: When he said the word, “needed”, it’s not just from people, it’s from the surroundings, the environment. It was on a grand scale.
(Pause)
Jamie: He kind of rubs the bridge of his nose.
Me: Can you share a past life that might have had the biggest influence on your last life?
Jamie: He shows me a map; he’s pointing to Ireland.
River: I was in a really large family. Twelve brothers and sisters, so that was 13 with me included.
Me: Wow!
River: My mother was very young when she was forced to marry. They were up and coming; they were able to gain their own land, and so having so many children was the thing to do to get the land worked on. I remember there were so many times of poverty and hardships and bad weather with no food, but all of us stuck together. Every single one of us did something to where it would benefit the others. That made me realize how important trust and community, how important family is.
Me: Um hm!
River: And so I came into a family that allowed me to relive this kind of structure where we all support each other so that I would have the comforts to experience what I needed to without it being a family issue.
Me: Any message for humanity?
River: My message to humanity is, ‘Look at people not for what they show you, but for who they are inside.’
Me: Oh, River, that’s beautiful. You’re quite the philosopher.
River: Thank you.
Me: Anything else you want to say?
Jamie (laughing): The owl is my favorite animal, and blue is my favorite color!
Jamie and I both giggle.
(We find out later that Erik asked him those questions.)
Me: Well, if you ever have anything else you’d like to say, you know how to find Erik, and he’ll let us know, okay?
River: Yeah. Erik’s a very cool dude.
Me (in a sappy voice): Yeah, he is. He’s my baby. Okay, thank you, River. I really appreciate your time, Sweetie.
River: Thank you. You make a great mom to anyone.
Me: Aw. I’ll adopt you! Just bring over the papers for me to sign.
River (laughing): I don’t know how your house could hold all of us!
Me: Where there’s love, there’s always room.
River: That’s true. Take care, Ms. Elisa.
Me: You too, Darling.
