R.I.P. Robin Williams

It was so sad to wake up this morning and read the news that Robin Williams had passed away.

What a legend, and a brilliant man - the saddest part about this is that he committed suicide and a man with so many friends and with so much going for him could choose to end his life.

I have lost so many friends to suicide and know so many parents who have lost children to suicide, I think this is the worst thing a human being can do as they leave behind all those people who think - "What could I have done to stop this?", "Why didn't they talk to me?" 

You wonder what goes on in a persons mind those last hours before thy end it all.  A parent and friends never get over the fact that a person committed suicide and until they themselves have passed on will always question "Why".  Suicide might be the end of all your problems, but it creates so many problems for everyone else.

Majority of the people I know who have committed suicide have been under the influence of Alcohol or Drugs and can only imagine that they weren't thinking of the consequences at the time but only their reasons for ending it all.

My first recollection of seeing Robin Williams was the TV sitcom "Mork and Mindy" - Mork from Ork, I fell in love with him, he was so funny and from that day on I have tried to see everything he acted in.  My favorites are most definitely "Good Morning Vietnam", "The birdcage", "Mrs Doubtfire" and far too many to list here!

Farewell Robin, such a sad loss to all of us!

Suicide

Why?

A dear friend of mine came to work yesterday and was really upset, a friend of hers in her neighborhood had committed suicide by hanging himself.

Of course when she told me so many memories came flooding back of people dear to me who had committed suicide, and although she was really upset I had to tell her that it is so selfish, because they don't realise what they do to the people they leave behind.  She was beating herself up about it, just as I had done when Norman committed suicide.

I know that when you are in that moment of depression you are only ever thinking about yourself, and you think the world would be a better place without you but that is never the case.  90% of the time suicides are related to Alcohol.  That was the fact in every suicide that I know of, which makes me think that alcohol like cigarettes should be banned.

Most suicide victims are just shouting out for attention, wanting someone to show them that everything is going to be alright, why also are majority of suicide victims "male"?

If I could have 5 minutes with each of the people I know that committed suicide, would I be able to change their minds?

Often I have been in the situation where I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel and things just keep going wrong, but I realise there are people worse off than me!  D also always makes me think, what is the worst thing that can happen in your situation?  I could get fired?  then what?  I look for another job?  What happens if I can't find one? I go on the dole? then what?  99% of the time there is an answer and there is always someone out there willing to help - the problem is a Suicide victim would never go up to someone and say "I am thinking of committing suicide", because majority of the time these things are done in haste and if they could have woken up the next morning, I am sure they would have regretted what they had done the night before!

The worst funerals I have ever been to have been because of Suicide and I think it is something we need to tell our children about.