Landscaper stops a man from commiting suicide

[musician/lawnman]

I woke up this morning & heard the end of this story on the radio on my alarm clock. I looked it up. Talk about having a bad day! What do ya charge for this equipment clean up job? Seriously though... I think the landscaper & his crew did all they could to prevent this & ultimately stopped the guy but not before the man got his arm, shoulder & chest mangled. Read here: http://www.twincities.com/ci_9289725?source=most_viewed

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[All Aspects Landscaping]

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WTF is wrong w/ people?

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[Steve]

Sometimes people have a bad day, week, month or year and they give up on themselves and give up on life. I hope that this person now can get some medical and psychological help to heal the wounds that caused him to do this.

[musician/lawnman]

Yeah, the guy needs help. Hopefully somebody can give him a hand. & an arm, a shoulder..... Then some mental attention would be good too.

Sorry, I'm a bit less than sympathetic when somebody causes themselves harm being stupid. I know the politically corect stance is awe..... the poor guy is mentally ill, Let's help him.

But I also believe in natural selection. It helps keep stupid people from over breeding. Yep you read it right. That's what I said.

[StartALawnCareBusiness]

It's not a matter of stupidity.

This 20 year old guy had enough torment in his life that he contemplated for 15 to 20 minutes throwing himself into a chipper before actually doing so.

What insurmountable obstacle did he have in his life? Substance abuse, mental depression, family problems, health issues, overwhelming debt?

Whatever the cause, it might have been something you or I could have said, "Dude, it's no big deal, let me show you a brighter path." Unfortunately, some people have a more difficult time seeing a brighter path without help...and, obviously, he didn't have that help.

One of my customers comitted suicide in '96. I still think about it occasionally and I wonder if there was something I could have done had I known he was under such inner turmoil.

It may have only taken a single word or friendly gesture from me to help him think the world not so cruel a place.

If nothing else, we owe compassion to those truly struggling with life.

Keith

[Steve]

This made me think about the other day I saw one of my friends out walking and he looked really glum and depressed and I joined him in the walk. He was telling me how he had another friend who was thinking of committing suicide.

This created a dilemma for him. He didn't know if he should call for the police/ambulance to get him admitted or just brush it off.

I told him, you need to get him help. If you don't and he kills himself, you will forever feel guilt about not helping him when he was reaching out for help.

He was afraid that this would make his friend hate him for breaking his trust, but my view was, he is asking for help or he wouldn't tell you this. If he ends up mad at you for a while or even forever, so what. You saved his life and it's a small price to pay.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Sorry, I'm a bit less than sympathetic when somebody causes themselves harm being stupid. I know the politically corect stance is awe..... the poor guy is mentally ill, Let's help him.

But I also believe in natural selection. It helps keep stupid people from over breeding. Yep you read it right. That's what I said.

I hear you and I can understand your point of view. I think the main reason I don't see things that way is because I have seen people who needed help, get it and then be able to move on in life. Years later I see these people that got help and am glad that it was merely a bump in the road for them.

[All Aspects Landscaping]

its the ultimate in cowardness... its the easy way out... im sure that everyone here has been at one place where they thought that was the answer. I know I have been... (early 20's - wrong girl, big debt, didnt know my place in life) but I manned up and got my #### together, and im happy as pie.

Steve,
I understand that some people do need help, but a friend that turns his back is no friend. Not to that guy and not to you. This means that if you were in that bad a way, he'd turn his head on you also? Sad to think it, but its probably true.

On a lighter note, Im glad to hear that you are out walking. Maybe you can pick it up to a run and we can do a marathon together. I ran the Disney marathon in 2006 (ehmm... 26.2 miles) lol... maybe we can get that slacker chuck to throw away the cigs, (for himself and his children; also for his excellent comments on the forum) and also join us in a marathon.

Just a thought!!

[musician/lawnman]

Ok,
About my comments above, I was having a particularlly crass moment, and while I feel it is a weak & cowardly thing to do, yeah If you know somebody & can help them of coarse you should do all that you can. Yeah, I had a period in my life that was the exact situation Jamie described above, I though about it... but #### I'd never do it!
There's a song on our old myspace page (it's still up though) called better things to come about that time period in my life.
http://www.myspace.com/jacksomebody

About this guy who ran his marathon into a wood chipper... It is sad that somebody feels that lost, I do have a heart & I'm not as cold as that sounded above. But ending it all is never the answer, even if it was man there's gotta be a better way.?

About me running a marathon, Yes I need to drop the ciggs.
No I don't see me running a marathon even after I do quit!
I'm in good shape that's not it, I'm just flat footed & it tends to hurt like #### after a while. Though in high school I was fast as #### in the short sprint races and stuff like that.

So guys don't start hating me because I make snap reaction cracks & jokes like I did above. If you don't share my sense of humor than I didn't mean to offend anyone. Even the night my father died (which tears me apart to this day) my brothers & I cracked jokes (just like he used to do) about it to deal with our pain. If you can't see the humor in life it gets too serious too quickly. Laugh it's good for ya.

[musician/lawnman]

An update on the story.....

I heard that guy is feeling Mulch better now.....


HAHAHAHAHAHA

[Steve]

Sometimes we all just need a little help getting through a rough spot in our lives I guess.