Over the weekend I observed an anniversary of sorts. It was April 12, 1988 when I hit rock bottom in life. I was at a place where I thought I had no answers to anything. I was 25 and thinking I could not cope with life. So that evening, I tried to kill myself. I drank a gallon of wine and took about 200 sleeping pills.
As you can assume, I was not successful in my attempt. I realized after I done this how stupid it was, and I got friends to rush me to the hospital. It was a long, exhausting night, and one I never want to duplicate.
I have not been in that place since, nor can I imagine myself in that kind of darkness. I have found so many better ways to cope with issues in my life. Obviously running is one of those methods. I feel down if I have not run after a couple days....as I feel this morning.
There are so many young people out there who feel all is lost, and do look at suicide. I wish we could reach them and let them know suicide is a final solution to temporary problems. It is not the answer. We need to give young people the tools to work through problems, cope with issues and understand things are not always so dire.
My friend Mark is going through a difficult time...nowhere near where I was though. I have suggested that he take up running. He wants to run with me and see if he likes it. If so, he would like to run a 5K. I think that is a great goal, and one I am happy to help with. Who knows, maybe he will find running a great way to clear the mind, and help him focus on issues.
Charlie
1 comment:
I can't be happier that you failed.
How often do we get to say that?
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