Off-Topic: What is going on here?

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	Name:	MartiniMan -
	Subject:	What is going on here?
	Date:	9/27/2010 10:48:03 PM

Totally different topic but one that I have been thinking about a lot lately. Over the last few weeks I have experienced three suicides. All were very sad and all apparently for different reasons but with a common thread.

First, a father who was experiencing financial difficulties and could not deal with the problems. Left several small kids and a wife.

Second was a 23 year old young man who was a brilliant student but came from a troubled family life (divorced parents). He struggled with mental illness and depression but had a wide open future ahead of him.

Third was a junior at our kid's high school who was good looking, popular, intelligent and a very good student. Happened over the weekend and has had a big impact on our two daughters.

What is remarkably common in all these cases was the overwhelmingly positive impact each of these individuals had on others and the bright future each seemed to have. What I told my daughters was we all have demons and we all go to bad places in our lives but sometimes someone goes someplace that they can't get back from. In its essence I think people lose hope, begin to believe that people and the world would be better off without them, that they are actually doing something that helps others. In a prayer group I am in several men were quick to describe suicide as a selfish act, one that harms those you supposedly love but I am not sure it is that simple.

When I grew up in SW Pennsylvania in the 1970s the economy was terrible, steel mills and coal mines were closing and so many men lost hope. Several committed suicide, including a friend whose Dad jumped out of a window at the hospital and killed himself. Here we are 30-40 years later and it seems like we are back there again. Sorry for the morose topic but I am really thinking a lot about this topic a lot lately. Kind of makes politics and other daily B.S. seem inconsequential.