“When people talk about suicide, they talk about it like it’s a choice — which strikes me as a rather luxurious way to talk about any illness.” (6:42)
After my father died suddenly I found myself pursued by a dark doppelganger bearing a message with grave implications.
Robin Williams took his own life yesterday. Woven through the sympathy and shock is a brightly colored thread of shame. “What a selfish act,” is how it goes. If you’ve never been touched by suicide, then it’s something you can’t fathom. And as such you are a lucky, lucky person.
Performed on July 11, 2013 at Talk Therapy Storytelling in NYC.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, get help now by calling 1-800-273-TALK or visiting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.