BLOG: The Frugal Writer: Stop, Look and Listen

Based on my last post, I was going to write about three more tips to get more done so you can get more shut-eye.  However, in light of the events this week, I have been compelled to share more urgent information.  Hopefully, it might even save lives.

Two deaths in as many weeks has prompted an outcry in the Park.  One was a suicide and one is still under investigation.  While the deaths, tragedies in and of themselves, are enough to lament over, what also saddens me is the insensitive flurry of responses both of these events have engendered online.

While the online world allows a certain level of openness and pontificating from the general public as never before, it does not mean we should lose sight of common decency and respect, but I believe we have. 

We have become so engrossed in our own independent worlds that we barely have time to stop, look and listen to what is really going on around us.  We say and do what we want without even considering how it affects others around us.  This needs to stop.  We need to open our eyes.

While depression can lead to suicide, is it enough to stand idly by while another person suffers?  Is it OK to shrug our shoulders and get on with life just because we don't suffer from depression?  We must not.  Thanks to a caring Patch reader, I've been made aware of Building Life.

Building Life was started in 2009, right here in Severna Park as a response to the high rate of suicides in Anne Arundel County.  The organization provides educational materials and other resources for families of teens so that early signs of suicide can be noticed and suicide can be averted.  While the emphasis of Building Life is on teens, the signs of suicidal tendencies are the same, regardless of age.

Take a look at the YouTube video, professionally produced by Severna Park's own Dan Gvozden.  In less than five minutes, you can learn how to look for signs and get help for those who are suffering, many of them in silence.

Many of you know that I am part of a coalition to Start School Later.  One of the reasons I am in favor of it is because even a 45 minute later start time has been shown to reduce depression.  If you reduce depression, you reduce feelings of hopelessness and suicidal tendencies.  According to Pediatric News, in a study conducted by Hasbro Children's Hospital in 2010, students got more sleep and felt less depressed. 

The study was able to make these findings after only two months.  So while it may be an inconvenience to start school later, this demands our attention.  Our community needs to see that everything around us is NOT just fine.  It is time to stop accepting the status quo as "just the way it is" and stop, look, and listen to what people in our neighborhood need.