Terrible Questions, Unanswered

(Picture shot at the Key West book fair.)

I had a friend, an educator,  a successful civilian teacher and consultant to our USN School of Intelligence Processing.  He asked me once to do the entertainment at a book fair in Key West. The affair was successful and as the year progressed we became pretty close, then one day he did not report to work, he had committed suicide.

Another wonderful friend, A tall handsome dude, a ret. Fire Chief from Miami, took his life, near here a couple years ago.

I personally had never heard of Mindy McCready. But according to her pictures, she had perfect complexion, and in most folk’s eyes would have been considered ‘pretty to beautiful’ according to how you see beauty.

Evidently very well known (except to folks like me who live under a rock and in their own quiet world). So the average person might ask them selves, how could a person with a large degree of success and children, take their life?

I will give you my complete understanding of the answer, one learned from years of observation. One gained from watching humanity from different vantage points over the period of  3/4 of a century. The answer is a true conundrum. I do not think anyone will EVER honestly know. That is because it is impossible to see inside one’s soul, mind or brain. WE are individuals. You-- reading this -- have thoughts that NO ONE knows. I honestly do not think there is anyone who is truly ‘An Open Book’.

You could never write nor verbally express the millions of thoughts, plans decisions, impressions or opinions that fly thru ‘YOUR’ human brain in one day, much less a lifetime.  We would like to know what drove Ms. McCready or anyone to take their own life, but we will never know.

We, who look in from the outside, say ‘how could she?’  WE SAY, “If I had one smidgen of her looks, talent or success I would be on top of the world!”  EVIDENTLY THAT IS NOT TRUE.

I remember saying that about my friends, “YOU HAD IT MADE, WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?”

Many folks have told me they have NEVER thought of suicide, since I have thought about it at several junctures in my life, NEVER SERIOUSLY, I find that hard to wrap my fingers around.

I am a contradiction of terms, I am against abortion, but I feel there are times it is justified. I am definitely against suicide, but I think there are times it is justified. That sounds terrible when put on paper (or a monitor), but in my mind there are people who take their own lives in order to save them or their loved ones more grief that they  know is coming,i.e. the labor and pain of care giving. My twisted mind sees that as sacrificial.  Good or bad, that is my mind.

Another quick example: When a murderer takes his own life, it saves the family from facing a lengthy trial and humiliation, etc.  We have had several hi-profile examples lately.

Again, sorry to be so lengthy.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

We want to read minds.

Can you imagine anyone reading yours, every minute of every day?

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Now to a more pleasant thought, strange vehicles:

This may clarify the one wheel dude a little.