SUICIDE BY JUST BEING NEARBY

© 2009 Howard McQueen

I’ve personally known two people
who in the past ten years
have used a handgun to end their lives.

There are, however, so many more indirect ways
to essentially kill yourself.

This is a story a close friend told to me recently.

"I was working for an accounting firm back in the mid 1990s. The lady who was the office manager (Ellen) was a very dignified, non-proselytizing, humble Christian. Her best friend (Francene), a senior bookkeeper, had lost her husband, then both of her parents all in the course of about nine months. Francene became deeply depressed and Ellen, sharing in her friend's deep grief, dispair and misery, just happened to develop cancer. As Francine improved, Ellen’s cancer went into remission.

Life moved forward just fine, for about six years, THEN

The accounting firm grew and another bookkeeper (Sylvia) was added to the general office shared by Ellen and Francene. Sylvia and Francene were at each other from day one. It was constant stress and complete unrest in the general office. Ellen did what she could, she tried her best to absorb the grueling, mounting bile of stress.

There was discussion among the senior management to move Francene into her own office, to dissipate the stress. The managing partner nixed the idea, saying no way a bookkeeper was going to get a private office (entitled to only by principals) just because of her provoking stress.

As the stress in the general office perpetuated, Ellen stumbled and fell, cutting her face one day. Her cancer had returned and within six weeks, she was buried."

Sometimes a hand-gun is not needed. Just being in proximity to two or more people venting stress loads the gun and pulls the trigger. The slow motion bullet is destructive hateful energies.

There are so many soft-spoken nourishers born in the world. Unable (or unwilling) to lobby for themselves, they do what they can to soak up the stress expressed by others, not knowing that they often jeopardize or forfeit their life.

If you have any other stories relating to suffering or suicide-outcomes, I would be interested in hearing from you (howard@mcq.com). I will maintain anonymity with regard to what you share with me.


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