Good For You, James!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                               With just now eleven days to go, until the third anniversary of Tyler Clementi's suicide--can you believe that one, girls?????--one of the Clementis, Tyler's older and very articulate brother, James, spoke out at Rutgers in Piscataway, yesterday, which has been designated World Suicide Prevention Day.

                                  Personally, I think Tyler' day would have been great for that, but how this date was chosen I am not clear.  I wish I had been there, but, thanks to our media, I saw and heard his articulate plea for the preservation of human life, and the destruction that comes, not just from the person who commits suicide, but those who live on in their wake.

                                     Does one get over such a thing?  From a personal  viewpoint, not really.  August 12, last month, was the anniversary of the suicide of my friend and coworker, Paul, and while the initial pain of that time is recalled, it no longer impacts on me as much as it did.  But, as a friend of mine pointed out, recently, while Paul certainly did enough funny and memorable things in his life to guarantee remembrance afterward, it was his premature death, and the nature of that death, which left an indelible mark in my consciousness, in a way that no other could.  I also witnessed first hand what it did to his family, so I can
empathize a bit with the Clementis.

                                       I have not decided how I will spend September 22, but I do know that if I encounter anyone I know even contemplating Tyler's decision, I will do my best to speak out to them against it.

                                         James continually stressed how he wished Tyler had reached out. I could say the same thing about Paul.  But, to myself, who sensed something was amiss, why didn't I reach out more directly?  Which is what haunts me to this day.  Sometimes, when warranted, we need to break through boundaries, to get to those we care about.

                                           Which is not to say all will be solved.  But one can feel peace knowing effort was made.

                                            Thanks, James!  And keep speaking out!  You are the best spokesperson Tyler, and those still facing his situation, have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!