Ok, so I was chilling at a frozen yogurt place yesterday near ISU campus and was impressed at the flock of students standing in line for some free goodies near one of the apartment complexes. I’ve never seen lines like that before, but it still took me back. I decided to pick up the Vidette and found the articles inside to be dry reading, but you know they’re still budding journalists, so we can’t be too hard on them for it. However, in the back they had a poll or it was perhaps student opinions, or the opinion of one person even, but it really bothered me. This person was weighing in on Robin Williams and his suicide and stated that it was a fumble, that he had made a profound impact on the world and basically how dare he end his life. This smacked of immaturity in my opinion. How in the world can you judge someone when you have no idea what he might have been feeling at the time. It was as if they would have been much happier had he died of a drug overdose. Seriously, what is wrong with the world? Someone dies from drugs or alcohol and it’s, oh that’s too bad, what a waste and they feel bad for them, but since it was a suicide, it’s taboo. I think people are not comfortable with the idea that someone so put together, famous, so successful could be suffering, for after all, what do you aspire to, if all those things still don’t bring you happiness?
Here’s the thing though. The best of us struggle with depression, no matter who we are, where we live, what color our skin is, or our sexual orientation. None of that is exempt from the void inside sometimes. It’s a silent predator and I’ve lost a few friends to it. I’ve wrestled with it in my lifetime too. You never know when it will strike again. It’s not like it announces itself before it enters your life. It’s more of a sneaky snook that climbs in the window and hides in the closet waiting to strike when the lights have all been extinguished. If you’ve never experienced it, be thankful. If you have, or are currently depressed, please keep the faith and try to fight your way out of it.
I will spend my time remembering the ways in which wonderful people who have come and gone have impacted my life. The beauty of his lifetime will far outshine his desperate end. Let him go. It’s sad that he could not find his peace on earth, but he will never be forgotten.
If you are lost and need some help try a LIFELINE. The link provided is to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Author Elissa Daye 