Why I Couldn't Sleep This Weekend...
People in the MHK (or at least the people I run with) have a tendency to attract and enjoy people who are a tad eccentric. We all have friends that are a bit quirky, but I never really stopped to think that some of these quirks may be sign of something more serious.
Saturday night, I talked to an old friend, someone who borders on being a friendly aquaintance, but also someone who I hold the utmost respect for and dare I say, look up to and admire a great deal. We hadn't spoken in about six months, and during that time I just sort of assumed he was on the same path to personal and professional satisfaction. I couldn't have more wrong. It seems that for as long as most of have known him, he's been battling obsessive-compulsive disorder. Over the past few months he has begun to lose that battle. Right around New Year's, he tried to end his life. He is presently seeing several doctors and is under suicide watch. He said that he has done all the research, and even though he has agreed to enter some sort of treatment facility, he "knows" that he can't be cured. He says after treatment, he intends to "finish the job." He actually told me that he's "lived a full life" and is ready to go. He's only 34 years old! How do you convince a hero that his life has value when he doesn't want to hear it. I'm quite certain that he has done all the research, and that the information he has is correct. I think he is also aware that the human mind and body has the potential to overcome such things. If anyone is capable of beating this disorder into submission, it's this guy. This is a man who balanced school and a national touring rock band, and still managed to close down Mae's every night. This is a man who reported to the County Jail to serve a week for too many DUIs the day after graduating with the highest honors and a perfect GPA at KSU. One night, a ruptured gas line caused his apartment to explode around him, and he walked away without a scratch. Out of all the silly small town metalheads to came to college, he was the best of us. He was a success. He got his PHD, and published many papers that were well received in his field. He became a college professor last year. He has achieved so much, but he has much more to do. He has a solo record to finish, if nothing else.
I've never felt so far away from the Sunflower state. I have to go to work.
Saturday night, I talked to an old friend, someone who borders on being a friendly aquaintance, but also someone who I hold the utmost respect for and dare I say, look up to and admire a great deal. We hadn't spoken in about six months, and during that time I just sort of assumed he was on the same path to personal and professional satisfaction. I couldn't have more wrong. It seems that for as long as most of have known him, he's been battling obsessive-compulsive disorder. Over the past few months he has begun to lose that battle. Right around New Year's, he tried to end his life. He is presently seeing several doctors and is under suicide watch. He said that he has done all the research, and even though he has agreed to enter some sort of treatment facility, he "knows" that he can't be cured. He says after treatment, he intends to "finish the job." He actually told me that he's "lived a full life" and is ready to go. He's only 34 years old! How do you convince a hero that his life has value when he doesn't want to hear it. I'm quite certain that he has done all the research, and that the information he has is correct. I think he is also aware that the human mind and body has the potential to overcome such things. If anyone is capable of beating this disorder into submission, it's this guy. This is a man who balanced school and a national touring rock band, and still managed to close down Mae's every night. This is a man who reported to the County Jail to serve a week for too many DUIs the day after graduating with the highest honors and a perfect GPA at KSU. One night, a ruptured gas line caused his apartment to explode around him, and he walked away without a scratch. Out of all the silly small town metalheads to came to college, he was the best of us. He was a success. He got his PHD, and published many papers that were well received in his field. He became a college professor last year. He has achieved so much, but he has much more to do. He has a solo record to finish, if nothing else.
I've never felt so far away from the Sunflower state. I have to go to work.