Print | Send To Friends | Add To Favorites | Comment

You Can Do Anything, An Hour At A Time: Suicide Is Not The Answer

By: Dianne James

Article Word Count: 1962 words  [Comments (0)]
Total Views: 4 Views

It was a normal day at the TV station, I was the sales manager, and also responsible for writing, shooting, and editing some of the station's TV commercials. There was always plenty to do at the little non-profit station in southern New Mexico. It was the first time that I had worked at a television station, specifically a Christian programming station, having spent most of my career in mainstream radio up to that point. I still remember the day that I first walked into that station with my resume in hand, handed it across the desk to the station manager, saying, "I'm Dianne James, here's my resume, and I'd like to work for you." He looked at the resume and we had a good talk.



At the conclusion of that talk, he said, "Well, you'll have to do sales in addition to other work..." I'd heard that before. I'd done that before, just not television, but I knew that if I could sell watermelons, potatoes, and radio airtime, I could sell television. Also, there was a more important purpose to this job. I didn't know it then, but it was an opportunity to help people, and to make a difference. The money wasn't great, since it was a non-profit, but it was also my first television job. The only other TV station I'd ever even visited was, as a young child, on my birthday when I was allowed to ring the bell on the Admiral Foghorn Show, a kind of West Texas version of Captain Kangaroo, in Odessa Texas. I didn't mention Admiral Foghorn.



I would be one of three salespeople, and would go out with the manager to meet my assigned clients, during those first days on the job. Well, in a perfect world, that would have happened. The manager was a very busy man. He didn't have time to hold someone's hand and introduce them to everyone. So, one day while waiting for him to get off the phone, I decided not to wait any longer. I left and started making cold calls. Months passed until one day while going into the control room, I tripped and fell on a tiny little step-down into the room. I didn't know a human's foot could bend that far backwards. I couldn't walk. Needless to say, I was on crutches for a few weeks, and carrying a brief case, making sales calls, and by then it had snowed. Not a pleasant experience. After a particularly slow sales month, I was thinking that maybe this job wasn't meant for me, after all. My boss called me into the office one day and said he wanted me to be the sales manager. He had always been the sales manager, and, to my knowledge, no-one else had ever held that position except him, so I stayed. The staying proved to be a learning experience.



It was during my tenure as the sales manager that a woman walked into the station, desperate and hopeless. I asked her if I could help her, and she looked a little bewildered. She said, with a slight Spanish accent, "I don't know, I just came in here, I don't know why. My son got killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Cruces, and I just got out of court." I saw pain in her eyes. Enormous pain. She was on the verge of tears, as she relayed the story of how her son just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, when a bullet from a drive-by shooter took his life. I had children of my own, and at that moment something within me felt some of her pain. Well, there was no reason for her to be at the TV station, she didn't even know it was a television station; she said she'd just wandered in, from the court house across the street. I noticed the braces on her legs, her graying hair and a look in her eyes that made me feel like she thought I could do something about all of this. I told her, "Wait, I'll be right back."



I brought her a Bible from the office, and turned to the book of Job. "This has helped me many times in my life, and I think it will help if you read this," I told her.



She took the Bible, said ok, and sat down in the lobby, and began to read. I told her I'd be back in just a little bit. I left the room to give her time to read it. When I came back, she was gone. The Bible lay on the sofa, and I wondered if she had even read the passage. I felt bad, that maybe I should have gone back to check on her sooner, but she was gone and nothing could be done.



Time passed, and the CBS Sunday Morning staff members had come to Alamogordo to shoot a special about gang violence with Howdy and Yahooskin Fowler as a part of it, with their cross-country camel trip, raising awareness of gang violence. The woman who had wandered into the station days before was definitely on my mind. I finally found out who she was and called her in Las Cruces, to see how she was doing, she had been so down, so depressed about her son, I had wondered what had happened to her. She said, "Yes, I remember you." At the end of the conversation she said, "Thank you. You saved my life."



The day she had walked in, I didn't know what that woman might do. I knew she was in pain, and very depressed. All I could do was talk to her and she to me, and try to give her some hope. I found out that no matter what our walk or position in life, we can help people along the way. You don't have to be a saint to help someone, either. Good thing, because I wasn't. All I knew is that she was so distressed, she might commit suicide.



Suicide is not the answer, because what you are going through right now might be the experience that someone needs in the future to keep them from committing suicide, or giving up on life- a source of future joy for you, being able to truly help someone. There is great joy in this life for you, if you give it enough time to find you. It is these tumultuous times, these trials of life, that prepare us for what we have to do in the future. Unfortunately, too many take their own lives, not knowing that they could help someone else with their wisdom of having been in that pain, too. They don't realize that a person can do anything, an hour at a time. A day at a time. What it takes is talking about it- even if it's to a stranger. Maybe even a pastor. Many people try taking anti-depressants to deal with their problems, but I've found that the best and fastest way to face the most difficult situations is head-on, right through the middle of it. When a person is feeling that much pain, the perspective from which they're looking at the situation is skewed by that pain. For that reason, it seems hopeless. It really helps to vent to another person who will listen. Find one that will, even if it's a stranger, because tomorrow is a new day. The sun will rise, the birds will sing, and you will survive this. You will be stronger for having survived this, and you will then be in a special position to help someone else survive that pivotal moment when life is in the balance.

Everyone has a purpose to their life. It takes many of us a long time to find what that is, but there is a purpose. You need to stay alive to find out what it is. Remember, too, that there are millions of people in this world who feel like they have no-one who loves them. There is love. Just keep living and striving for the joy that you will find. Keep learning and you'll keep growing. And don't forget, you can do anything, an hour or a day at a time. You'd be surprised to know how many people who are walking around happy today have, at least once, considered killing themselves. This moment now is but a tiny part of your wonderful journey of life ahead. If the Lord can use a plain old salesperson like me to help someone, He can certainly use you, too. Someone will need your love, someday. You can only love them if you're alive.



Did you know:



30,000 people commit suicide each year in the United States - a rate of 11 in every 100,000 Americans, or one person every 17 minutes..

The Rocky Mountain region has the highest suicide rate in the country.. In 1998, the suicide death rate in Colorado was more than 14 people per 100,000, making it the 12th highest in the country and 36% higher than the national average..



An estimated 9,600 Coloradans seriously contemplate suicide each year and approximately one-half to two-thirds of these individuals are not being treated for their suicidal symptoms.



Key Facts About Suicide



The largest number of suicide deaths occur among middle-aged men, between 35 and 44 years of age, with the risk for suicide increasing for those with a mental illness or who abuse alcohol.



Middle-aged men who commit suicide are also the least likely of all groups to seek mental health treatment prior to their death..



The risk of suicide death increases among men as they age and is particularly high among men who are 75 years or older.



Most of the elderly who die from suicide are white and are not married..



The risk for suicide among women does not increase as they age..



Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among youth, although suicide deaths among youth are relatively infrequent compared with other age groups..



Young people, particularly young women, are much more likely to be hospitalized for a suicide attempt than older adults..



Risk factors for suicide can be characteristics of an individual (being male, having a mental or physical illness, having a family history of suicide), situational (living alone, being unemployed) or behavioral (alcoholism, drug abuse or owning a gun).. Individuals at risk for suicide tend not to seek treatment for their emotional problems. Getting this population into care is an important goal of suicide prevention efforts.. National data suggest that only one-third (36%) of people at risk for suicide visited a medical care provider within the past year. Only 10% report having seen a physician for their emotional problems and an additional 29% visited a physician for other reasons.


Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com





Dianne James has written for newspapers, radio, television, and now for her own MeanderMagazine.com for more than 27 years. She serves as publisher and editor-in-chief of the online magazine located online at: www.meandermagazine.com & Meander Radio. In addition to being a writer, she is a voice-over artist, and owner of a production company producing music jingles and radio advertising, and she serves as a marketing consultant for area businesses.

More on Dianne's background can be found in Meander Magazine's Gallery 2, and her writing can be found in many sections of the magazine. Sections include International and World News, Business, Garden, Health, Spirit, Pets, Auto, Food, Earth, Music, Movies, Over 40, Art, Galleries, and more.





Print | Send To Friends | Add To Favorites | Comment

Related articles


Seasonal Affective Disorder and Tanning Salons By: Mimi Richardson - With the arrival of the cold season, besides cold-driven nuisance, some persons experience drawbacks regarding the general state, lack of energy and depression of unknown origin.
 
OCD - Dont Look Back in ANGER By: kacycarr - How is it that an OCD sufferer can never leave a room or walk through a door without looking back? Why do we fight the urge to look back? Well let me tell you? It is because we find ourselves going back to fluff up the cushions, god only knows how many times the doors are checked to see if they are locked before retiring to bed, that trickle of glistening water on the draining board needs to be wiped.
 
Prevention of Suicide is Everybody's Business By: Dinesh Singh Rawat - Prevention of Suicide is Everybody's Business We are losing approximate one million human lives a year worldwide due to suicidal deaths.
 
Traumas as Social Interactions By: Sam Vaknin - ("He" in this text - to mean "He" or "She").
 
When Someone You Know Has To Deal With Depression, Anxiety And Fear By: Stan Popovich - What do you do when you someone you know has to deal with persistent fears and anxieties or even depression? Well the first thing you need to do is to get the person to seek the services of a professional and/or counselor who can lead them in the right direction and give them the help they need.
 
What About Drugs for Anxiety and Depression? By: Margaret Paul, Ph. D. - As a counselor, I am often asked, “Can drugs be helpful for anxiety and depression?” The answer I give is “Yes” and “No.
 
Depression: Medication May Cause Sexual Side Effects By: Hector Milla - When you think about side effects of medication you may think of headaches or some stomach disorders, but you never thought about sexual problems, because for some it is too much when you have depression.
 
Over Compulsive Disorder - OCD I Cry Alone By: kacycarr - To gain control of our actions first we need to face up to the OCD and believe in ourselves that we can fight this fight single handed if need be.
 
Depression And Suicide By: Dr. Isaac Schumann - - Eighteen year old Catherine had everything: the most supportive family, a loving boyfriend, awesome set of friends and a comfortable life.
 
Natural Treatment For Depression – It Is Possible! By: Dr. Isaac Schumann - - Depression is one of the most common psychological and emotional problems American adults encounter.
 
Treating Depression By: Dr. Isaac Schumann - - Health care providers can take care of depressed people.
 
When Do You See A Doctor If You Have (Or You Think You Have) Depression? By: Dr. Isaac Schumann - - If you have depression, or at least you think you have one, you must realize that you should not diagnose yourself.
 
What Causes Depression? By: Dr. Isaac Schumann - - Usually in our adolescence, we are exposed to many sudden and inexplicable mood swings as a result of our body undergoing various hormonal changes that prepare us for adulthood.
 
Depression Is A Real Illness By: Dr. Isaac Schumann - - Because most people get depressed from time to time, there is that eternal question if depression is a real illness.
 
How Do I Know If I Am Severely Depressed? By: Dr. Isaac Schumann - - Curiously easily diagnosable and treatable medical problem, depression happens to at least 20 million American adults every year.
 

Search the Articles


Subscribe

Receive alert message from us when new articles submitted to our site for free.

Enter your name

Enter your email

Categories

Syndicates