Don't Believe the Theme from M*A*S*HThree years ago there was a report about a woman-- likely not too stable herself-- who climbed up a billboard. The cops managed to keep her from jumping. At least I think that's what happened. My memory's fuzzy from all those sleep deprived nights teaching Engrish.
I'm making a big assumption as to cause here, but I'm betting a good number of people are driven to Suicide Alley on account of things more pressing and world-shaking than having a lousy love life or lack thereof. Not that these things haven't driven people to suicide, mind you.
While honoring the life instinct is in principle always a good thing, I'm left to wonder why we work so hard to save lives when it's very likely that the people who want to end their own-- like our unstable Billboard Climbers and Pasig Floodway Jumpers-- find little real reason to live. Our knee-jerk salvific action-- getting the cops to keep insane old women from jumping off that South Super Highway billboard-- doesn't address the real causes of their flight from existence.
Is it ultimately a kindness when we can only save their lives now-- while they're noisy, newsworthy and inconvenient-- but later forget about them and what causes their lives to be reft of joy? Do we honor the life-instinct because we give a damn or do we save because we are inconvenienced by the latest disturbance in our morning routines?
If I ever do decide to jump off the Pasig Floodway bridge, I'm doing it quietly, to save everyone else the bother.
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About Me:
Messages and Manifestos: On Art:
Work Edifies
Marketing, Politics, Man in the Mirror
Did anyone ever tell you that I dislike poetry?
I'm a Designer
Why Dex Faves (personal stuff here too)
Messages and Manifestos: Personal: On Love
On Love
After All It's Done to You, Why?
Messages and Manifestos: Personal: For Tina, For Tishie
I have a grand daughter
14 (Again, for Tin)
When is Enough, well, Enough?
To the Monastery, Jeeves
14 (for Tin)
for Tina
Bemused
Devious Comments
Happens alot. Poor people..
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Love is the only truth. From Love you have Hate, Resentment, Jealousy, Rage and War. From Love you have children, siblings, family... from Love you have the ability to feel Compassion and Sympathy.
I'm just disturbed that there doesn't seem to be much effort from us as a society to fix the reasons why people get unhinged and jump off bridges in the first place.
Personal responsibility plays its part here, yes. But there should be a greater social participation beyond just physically keeping the poor saps from leaping to their deaths.
In our society we can't afford to be "our brother's keeper." This has to change.
I want to move. To europe.
Or help people. Helping people would be nice.
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Love is the only truth. From Love you have Hate, Resentment, Jealousy, Rage and War. From Love you have children, siblings, family... from Love you have the ability to feel Compassion and Sympathy.
As for the saving...
Well, some will move on after (the jumper)...
There's always a reason why they get saved...
There's also a reason why others that don't get reported go on unnoticed...
Whatever the reason, it's not always something anyone outside the jumper's life can solve.
When kids do the suiciding...now that's something that really needs solving... (twice on the news too...surprisingly, it's not that uncommon...which should alarm us even more)...
The jumper should help himself too...
even the smallest kids carry lumber down the mountain to go to school...and the people with no feet go up the overpass to sell the candies to live on...
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We are divided. Diluted. Diminished. Warding us from entering again Circles we have left.
We hold watch upon them still. Sitting atop walls of their own making.
Wallwatchers, Songs of Ravens an' Other Black Birds Vol. II
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We are divided. Diluted. Diminished. Warding us from entering again Circles we have left.
We hold watch upon them still. Sitting atop walls of their own making.
Wallwatchers, Songs of Ravens an' Other Black Birds Vol. II
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