Remembering a very good friend on World Suicide Prevention Day

September 10, has been designated as World Suicide Prevention Day. My good friend Kevin Greim suicided one year ago on September 14. He was 28.

For those who think Johnny Mandel summed it up best when he wrote 'Suicide is painless/and I can take or leave it if I please', i want to say- unlike in the movie "M*A*S*H" there is no black capsule. Suicide IS painless. It doesn't matter as Kay Jamieson wrote in "Night Falls Fast", 'What matters it if rope or garter'. There is no easy death- not for those who left behind. For every "Eleanor Rigby' funeral- (died at the church and was buried along with her name/ no body came).  There are hundreds of thousands if not millions of those who, leave mourning widows, parents, siblings- and friends. Like my friend Kevin.

Kevin's memorial service was packed. He really touched a lot of lives. I wonder now if, as time does, those who knew him still have nightmares where they are on the train tracks as some type of ghost like Clarence and in the few milliseconds before he died, could have told him to jump out of the way.

There are two beautiful obits about Kevin that I know of. One was written by John McManamy, who loved Kevin like the son he never had. And the other one is written by me here.

So if anyone is feeling suicidal, please read these obituaries. And if you still are after that, i have set up several links on my blogroll of where to get help. Fighting the black dog sucks. It's hard. But the alternative- that's harder. Keep fighting. Keep coming back. Keep on, Keep on,  Keep on....