This afternoon while surfing I found out that Edward Lucas White lived, and wrote Lukundo, in Baltimore.
In a generation of iPods, CG special-FX popcorn movies and presidential elections driven by sound bites, you might read Lukundo ... just to try your hand at figuring out what's really going on. Underneath the veil and disguise of words.
I also learned that White committed suicide seven years to the day after the death of his wife, Agnes.
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While trying to learn more about the author, a Google search spat out the name of Carl H. Meyers. I have no idea who he was; all I know is that he's buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The on-line record indicates, "First Lieutenant, Air Service, 1 1923 Suicide Victim In Hawaii."
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1923 was 85 years ago. Such a long, long time in the past. So?
So what was happening in Meyers' life that made suicide seem the best solution? What series of circumstances combined to make his life seem unbearable? What was the final lever that broke his grip ... and ultimately pushed Myers over the edge?
85 years later, do any of the problems he faced still seem so painfully insurmountable?
We don't know, and Myers isn't here to tell us.
The tragedy is a life lost to itself.
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There are approximately 750,000 suicide attempts each year.
An estimated 5 million living Americans have attempted suicide.
- On average, one suicide occurs every 17 minutes.- On average, a young person (age 15-24) dies by suicide every 2 hours and 12 minutes.
- More people die from suicide than from homicide.
Each suicide intimately affects at least 6 other people. (estimate)
http://www.suicide.org/suicide-statistics.html
