Make a Note; Have a Plan

A couple things became obvious after last night's ordeal(s) (yes, there was a second one later in the evening): 1.) this truly is an epidemic.  Last night, in a period of 5 hours, three young people THAT WE KNOW OF attempted to take their own lives; one succeeded.  So, I guess it's safe to say that it served as a microcosm of society as a whole:  for all our efforts, we just couldn't get to them all; and, 2.) there needs to be a concrete plan in place for when this crisis reaches you.  And, trust me, at the rate of 1 suicide EVERY 18 MINUTES!, it's only a matter of time before it effects your life.  Map out your plan, now.  Make mental notes.  If it's pre-crisis, meaning no attempt has been made but the at-risk person is in a very fragile state, get professional help immediately.  If it's too late for that, if the attempt has already been made and every second counts, call the proper authorities immediately.  Every single second counts.  We're going to win this battle and cut significantly into the current statistics.  We can make a difference!!!

What Would You Do?

Last night, we had a crisis in my online community.  There were signs that a suicide attempt may be underway.  So, for the next several hours, several of us scrambled in an attempt to put something concrete together to present to the proper authorities.  After nearly three hours of intense information gathering and sharing, we were able to track down the at-risk person and get them to the hospital.  Safe and sound.

Once I was able to catch my breath, it made me sit and wonder what would you do?  How would you have handled a similar situation?  Would you believe that there was one young person who had the vital information we needed but wouldn't (COULDN'T) give it to us because their parents said "don't get involved with it, it isn't your business."  Saving a life, whether you know the person or not, should be EVERYBODY'S business.

A Suicide Note

A while back, my former songwriting partner contacted me to ask if I could "come up with something..." for him.  He had this title, and an idea of what he wanted the song to be written about.  And, he knew that it was a subject matter that was very dear to my heart.  Still is.

This is written as an actual suicide note.  I would greatly love to wipe out the need for any parent, any friend, and loved-one to ever have to read a similar in their lifetime.  Please pay close attention to the lyric of this song, then do EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER to make sure no parent or loved-one has to endure reading a letter like this again.

Ever Wonder Where The Atmosphere of Hate Comes From?

We live in a very complex world. Our society has become deeply divided and polarized. And, people have become all too comfortable with spewing hatred and intolerance all in the name of God. Case in point is that church, you know the one I'm talking about, that, in the name of God(so they believe), goes around to funerals and high schools with extremely toxic, hateful, and purely evil signs stating how much God hates fags, how fags should burn in hell, and worse. Here's a deeper issue, and one that really merits looking into: these people have children, no doubt. So, what's the lesson learned by the children? That it's totally ok to hate as long as it's done in the name of God. That intolerance is fine as long as God is in the mix. And, you wonder why there are hate-filled bullies in the schools? Well, wonder no more.  Here's the eye-opener: one state just sanctioned bullying as long as....

What Is Depression?

Now, if you ask the average person what depression is, they'd probably have a very pedestrian response, like "when your boyfriend breaks up with you." To be sure, that can be quite depressing. However, it isn't depression. Clinical depression is an illness, and it's an illness that is at the root of the overwhelming majority of teen suicides, be they gay or straight. This article, posted by my good friend Maureen, will certainly explain better than I can.  Depression

My New Voice

Recent tragic events have served to give me, finally, my true voice. I've often written about gay teen suicide in my lyrics hoping, I guess, that someone, somewhere who was truly at risk would hear the songs and reconsider. Not enough. I took this particular suicide very personally even though if he were alive today, I wouldn't know him from the man in the moon. Doesn't matter. I know him now. He's directly and incredibly touched my life in a very deep way. To say "things will never be the same" is cliche at best, moot at the least. I can't say this any clearer or directly: I want gay teen (and, ANY teen!) suicide eradicated. And, I won't stop raising awareness...ever. That's my gift to you, Jamie Hubley, as a tribute to your life and as a thank you for giving me my voice.

Ron