[Editor’s Note: In 2014, the television and film actor Stephen Collins admitted to three incidents inappropriate sexual conduct with underage girls, beginning in the early 1970s. Collins himself sought psychiatric counseling as a result, and there is no evidence that he has repeated the behavior at any time during the last thirty years. The revelations came to light after his estranged then-wife secretly tape-recorded a therapy session, and the recordings were leaked to the media. Despite the age of the allegations, the fact that no charges were ever pressed by the women involved, and Collins’ expressions of remorse, he was ostracized by the film and television industry. At the time, he was under contract to star in Ted 2, a role that was canceled along with other professional opportunities. Since then, Collins has had no acting roles. It is possible that his actions were so heinous that lifelong ostracism is warranted; however, there is not enough in the public record to know for sure. On the other hand, an argument can be made that society should permit the rehabilitation of offenders who have sincerely attempted to change and who, like Collins apparently has, have not reoffended. Arguments can be made on both sides; to argue for rehabilitation does not minimize the underlying offense. Tracy Rybacki, a writer with Down syndrome, argues that it is time to forgive, and that there is more to the man than the scandal that ended his career.]
This is Tracy Rybacki, who has high functional Down syndrome, and has talent in creating stories. The one I have for you will spellbind you and blow your mind, and you won’t believe your eyes, and this is why: this is actually based on true events.
One day I was on the internet, and I read that at a film festival in Providence, Rhode Island, there was a short film called Next of Kin, and it was a directorial debut of Stephen Collins, my beautiful idol. At the time, he was best known for his role as Reverend Eric Camden on the TV series 7th Heaven. But I became an admiring fan of his not because he’s a celebrity but because of who he is as a person. He is a humanitarian-hearted man who is a lay Eucharistic Minister, with many talents and gifts. I became a fan just for being him, and his beautiful heavenly heart.
I told my mom and my best friend Maryann about the film festival, and they agreed to go.
On August 13, 2005, we went to the film festival, and as we walked into the theater, a worker asked my mom if we wanted to meet Stephen Collins. When I spotted him, a strange feeling came over me, my bones were shaking, my mom felt my bones shaking when she touched me. Maryann went to Stephen Collins, because I couldn’t move, and they came closer to me. My shaking stopped when he hugged me. Then we talked. He said, “Are you a Mets fan?” His voice was friendly. I said yes. I felt unreal. Finally, we exchanged emails. Then we left.
Two years later he emailed me and asked if my mom and I wanted to come to L.A. I showed my mom the email, and so we went to L.A. This was the first trip that my mom rented a car for the first time. He called my mother to give her the directions to the set of 7th Heaven, and, on his day off, he took my mom and me to the set, and I saw a filming of 7th Heaven. Then we went to see him at a concert and sat by the stage. This was in 2006.
Two years after that, we went to a Broadway play called Monty Python’s Spamalot, when Stephen Collins was in the play. Out of a crowded theater one of the backstage workers came and asked to see my mom and me, his email ami. They asked if I wanted to go backstage to see him after the play was over.
He’s nice, he’s sweet. I went to Yonkers to the street where he lived, and I went to his high school with my mom and Maryann, which I don’t usually do. I only do that to friends. Now I have a holistic, angelic and spirited friend for the rest of my life.
You may know that Stephen Collins admitted to bad behavior, decades ago. Have you heard of Transcendental Meditation? It can change your mental state and your outlook about yourself, and in life. It can change a person’s life. Basically, doing Transcendental Meditation is like taking a shower for the soul. For example, if a person was bad millions of decades ago, that doesn’t mean you’re the same person now, especially when you showered with TM; you washed it away, it’s out of the soul, and now you’re a better person. You are cleaned, and you washed the bad out of you. That’s my changed, cleaned, angelic, spirited friend Stephen Collins. That’s why he’s my legend, my iconic idol who needs to be forgiven. He’s not disgraced, he’s graceful. He’s changed, because of TM, into a sweet, loving, kind person with a beautiful human heart.I would say that’s the end, but I’m still living it.
^^^
Tracy Rybacki’s last article for Oblivioni Magazine was in December. Image design by Kalyee Srithnam.