Walk to fight suicide
When I went on vacation late in September, I met a few folks. In the midst of conversation, I learned that they were in Ocean City Maryland for a few reasons. one of the reasons they were there was to participate in a fundraising walk for suicide awareness. The event took place on September 21st, 2019 and raised over 46,000 dollars for suicide awareness.
This walk took place after a meeting at Ocean City Board Walk and Caroline Street. The walk went up the boardwalk and back to that location. A two mile loop giving a reason for people to gather together and bring awareness of a growing problem in our society.
According to the American Psychological association, “The increase in the rate of death by suicide in the United States between 2000 and 2016, from 10.4 to 13.5 per 100,000 people (30%), according to a National Center for Health Statistics analysis of data from the National Vital Statistics System. The rate increased by about 1 percent per year from 2000 through 2006 and by about 2 percent per year from 2006 through 2016.” Why has this increase occurred?
There are several possibilities as to what is causing this increase in suicide. I have a theory. It is possible that this issue is caused by a social breakdown in our country. We in the united states have a very selfish society. We live in a consumer driven world where you need to get the next big thing. We live in a world where the resources you have can determine your value and your worth. We live in a country where the media is pushing the narrative that happiness is in your next purchase. Do we believe that happiness can be bought or paid for in any way?
Money is a huge driving force in the life of America. We work for it, we fight over it, it has been well documented that people will kill over it. A false belief that you can buy happiness has been a paramount thought in the United states for years. I agree with a statement made by early 20th century comedian Groucho Marx, “Each morning when I open my eyes, I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it…” Happiness is a choice. Whether you have millions in the bank or five dollars to your name you have the ability to be happy. It is a choice. This choice is the thing we all seek after each, and every, day and when things don’t go the way we wanted them to, does that mean we cannot be happy? No, it just means that something didn’t go the way we wanted it to. We need to have an understanding that things happen, those things that happen do not give us our identity. We are far more than the results of the events that happen around us. Does Family expectation put a burden on us that we cannot follow or live up to?
We look at one of the most prestigious families in American history, the Vanderbilt family. If you do not know, this is the family that built the railroad system in the United States. Cornelius Vanderbilt left a fortune of 100 million dollars and one of his sons committed suicide by shooting himself. Another descendent jumped out of a window and killed himself. Is there to much pressure to live up to the family name? What role does family expectation play in this issue?
In modern family dynamics the pressures to graduate high school with high grades and to go to a high end college can be great. Especially if your parents got good grades and went to a prestigious school. The parents are extremely successful financially, however their child does not want to do what the parents do. To some families this would be unacceptable. What if the child fails in college? How do you cope with the failure that some will encounter? Is it healthy to push your child to go to the college you choose for them, to force them into a career that they may or may not want to go into? The economic drive in the world we have in America can have an adverse effect on the young. Sometimes the best thing is to let the child learn who they are first and then they can choose to make an educated decision to gain the knowledge needed to do what they want. True peace will be found when a person’s purpose is being fulfilled. The pressures of family can be overbearing and if we allow that fear of failure to come into our life it can work in negative ways. Is this limited to the dynamics of family?
Another dilemma you can encounter may be survivors’ guilt. Perhaps an armed forces retiree was in combat and watched his best friend die. The thought that it should have been them can take over their mind. The trauma of this can be difficult to live with. Social interaction can be of upmost importance. This type of person left alone can be fatal. A support structure is needed for their security and safety. Teaching these people that their survival is not an accident and they are here with a purpose may save their lives. tragic things happen in this world and finding ways to be happy can provide a favorable outcome to each of us.
Does a false idea of happiness lead to suicide? We have discussed happiness as a choice, and we discussed the idea that Americans are searching for happiness therefore, the answer would seem simple, choose to be happy and we do not have a problem. I can tell you it is not that simple. While I do believe that happiness is a choice you can make every day, this internal mental choice is only one idea. There is a social aspect of this too. We all just want to be happy and in the bible the first thing that God says is not good is just after he made the first man, Adam. Genesis 2:18 says, “it is not good for man to me alone” (New International Version) and in a society that pushes aloneness and independence this biblical idea can get lost in our society. This idea in today’s world can be viewed relative to those around us that we interact with. A simple statement would sound something like this. Well, all other people are living alone so you should too. In scripture Jesus answers some people that are accusing him of working with Satan with this statement, “A house divided cannot stand”. If our families are all split apart and each of us lives in an empty home, this is a haven for Satan to work. The lies creep in, no one loves you, no one cares, your all alone, your worthless, no one needs you. In reality, we are all wonderfully and beautifully made (Psalms 139) with a purpose and a place in this world. We are designed to live with interaction to each other. A social structure that our culture has torn down and deemed as weakness. Is this social construct a cause for suicide?
As humans we seek happiness, comfort, acceptance, and love. To live in a social construct that individualizes lives can lead to a state in which you do not feel loved. This issue of love can be difficult. A social construct that is determined based on your own thought patterns and your personal values can be detrimental to others around you. Applying life relative to what you have seen or known can be oppressive to someone who values interaction with another person. Personal values are different among people and pressing your beliefs upon others can hinder their self-worth. How can we assist in this loneliness issue?
We can open our lives to all people; do not be afraid to connect with a stranger. we all need to be shown that someone cares about us. We all need to be shown that we have value. We need to create a social conflict with this culture that separates us all. We, as humans, are not designed to be alone. We are designed to be social creatures interacting with each other to display the amazing and awesome power of God. We are all able to display the love that has been shown to us. I employ you to combat the cultural press of a fully independent life away from other people. We are designed to live in union with each other and, as the bible states, it is not good to be alone. Personal social networking is paramount to true life satisfaction. We need to challenge the norm so we can change the lives of the many and potentially save lives from suicide.
