About This Blog

As time permits, in-depth musings on myriad subjects will be posted. Abbreviated adages will be announced via Twitter.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Hello, World.

I've not published anything here in nearly three months. Not for lack of things to say, but I have had two things in ample supply as of late: Jack and <expletive> -- and Jack left town. With swim season almost in the bag (Regionals are this weekend; State, two weeks after that), I hope to have a bit more free time for things, including, but not limited to, being a full-time teacher again, triathlon, graduate school, and "other."

"Other" will include quite a bit, some public information and some not. What can be public will, quite obviously, be made so, but something that has been tugging at the back of my mind the past several months is getting involved with larger issues. Two, in particular, are Yield to Life (seeing cyclists and other road users as human beings and not just something inhibiting driving the maximum possible speed permissible) and Pick Up the Phone (suicide prevention). The former should be obvious, given that I ride my bike (not as much as, say, a year ago, but, again, the aforementioned ending of swim season within the next few weeks should remedy that), while the latter, too, is linked to cycling. See, I lost a friend to suicide, almost a year ago.

M--- lost his wife through the most seemingly unfathomable ways: A bee sting. Fast-forward 15 months, and M--- seemed to be getting along well with his life, cycling on a spiffy, new bicycle, going out with friends to honky tonks & such. Everything seemed normal. It wasn't.

For several weeks in early 2009, M--- was on my mind. I kept wanting to call him but never did. On Good Friday, I learned I never would get the chance; M--- had taken his own life.

Details were never revealed, but what would they have mattered? A friend, a person, was gone, and I had done nothing to keep it from happening.

Please, no comments about how it wasn't my fault, etc. Rather, if you know of someone who needs you, don't be afraid to pick up the phone; or write; or drop by for a visit. Social networks may still be somewhat the rage, but Facebook will never take the place of face time. For me, I'm in need of some sleep time, so I'm heading to bed. As always, thanks for reading.

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