Sad tonight, anyone out there?

“Adam Ant?”

“I never made the connection to the play on words.”

“Probably a great number of serverly depressed people, planning on their suicide, put on their seatbelts when driving to the hardwarestore to buy rope or a gun.”

“What country were you talking about that has the most suicides?”

“Stuart Leslie Goddard = Adam Ant
Check Wikkipedia”

““What country were you talking about that has the most suicides?”

euro hike must live in Lithuania
last edited: 12/17/06 3:55:48 PM”

“I don't remember which is the country with the absolut highest suicide rate. The country I was talking about does rank fairly high though. If you check my albums you'll find a clue to what country I was talking about.”

“OK...................I'll never tell!”

“I re read "Personal Freedom" by Gerry Spence.

It is upon me to make changes in my life.”

“Until you figure that out, you'll never be free. Once you do, nothing can hold you back. I'm not talking about an intellectual understanding, but deep down in the gut, an understanding that results in changed behavior.”

“I hear ya, bro. It's about to happen. I feel it.”

“that might be indigestion.... j/k”

“Or it could be....

oh, never mind, darlin.”

“Worked on the Engine Company last night. Had a 2AM "suicide attempt" we ran on. I knew the girl, she had attempted to OD, and cut herself.
We got there and bandaged the wounds, and the Medics started the Yummy Activated Charcoal Cocktail.
I am sitting there as the cops finish their report and we are getting the girl ready for transport. I asked her .."WHY?"

Her answer,"I feel like I am not noticed, I am just empty." (she was Full of alchohol I know).

I guess at this time of the year we all still want the Perfect Christmas. My Father-in-Law grew up in an orphanage (when his mother died his father put him and his sister in one....Hell his four brothers, and two other sisters let him stay there for 10 years).

There is not Perfect Christmas (ref. National Lampoon Christmas Vacation) it is what you choose to make of it.

I have done the present buying, the parties and all this year, but the neatest thing I did was I cooked a Full Leg of Lamb with green beans, rice, gravy etc for the crew at my staion last night (12 man shift). I think doing something for someone else is the neatest way to beat the blahs at anytime.”

“XL is right.

It's best to not be self-centered. Put your focus elsewhere.

Contrary to what people's nature would have them to believe, it's not all about us.

When you figure that out, your depression and self-pity will disappear.”

“UM...moon are you avaiable for public talks...cause I would like to schedule you to talk to pretty much 90% of the depressed people I know...(LOL)...Right ON!”

“the holidays are tough for me and others who live alone - my approach has been to plan on doing something else, something I enjoy, over the holidays. For the last few years I have been going backpacking - sometimes solo, sometimes with others but always something I enjoy - it really helps me to look forward to the holidays instead of getting depressed about how my life has changed over the years.

bearmagnet - XL's news of the suicide attempt is a very good example of why drinking when down is very dangerous and is one of the reasons I no longer drink.”

“Then drink Cuervo when down, usually I would just become easily agitated. :D


Or, while down, get wasted in a strip club and go get a "massage".

C'mon people, work with me here!
last edited: 12/18/06 7:43:14 AM”

“Irish coffee was my holiday drink of choice - the caffeine helped keep me up a little - also was known to hit the eggnog with a good dose of instant coffee added in addition to the booze”

“I recall the worst depression I have ever had...it lasted for a couple of months...I was at my home in Goa, India...a spectacular beach back in the 70's that was as close to paradise as anyplace I have ever seen...

Everywhere I looked I saw selfishness, greed, distrust and death...I felt life was a bad joke...

Then, one day I was watching a flock of chickens...they pretty much wandered where they wanted back then...it was, at first, like what I saw life as...arguments, one-up-man-ship, power plays with everyone picking on the chickens that were lowest in the pecking order...then something suddenly flipped in my head and I saw the foolishness of what seemed so important to the chickens and the foolishness of what most humans thought was important...

I've never forgot that moment and have never had anything close to a depression like that again...now I recognize that many of the negative feelings I'm experiencing today won't even be remembered in a few days...they just, in reality, aren't all that important no matter how they feel right now...this helps keep me on an even keel...I've always said chickens were the best psychiatrists I ever had...”

“Very true, MHH. I've been edging towards a pretty bad funk lately, but it seems to have passed now. Actually, getting really angry at a group of petty, self important people this weekend really helped. ;)

It showed me that I do have some good friends here.”

“Cluck, cluck.”

“Thanks, MHH. Sometimes I let myself slip into depression. The past few months have been hell, but yes, I realize that at some point in the future, it will just be a bad memory.

I don't know if words alone will ever express the appreciation I have for all the folks here that have helped me.”

“It is upon me to make changes in my life.”
~chili

Word!

I am, as an inherent result of my degree in Trade and Industry Education, a career counselor. LOL!

"Physician heal thyself"”

“Hay! I kno who is that a pikter of!

That is Sak of Joweeya!
(I seen her grabe in Wyodaho, bwt)”

“Thanks MHH....good example and with Chickens if they really bother you you can cut their heads off fry em up and enjoy!”

“Mataharihiker, you were discussed with much fondness this past weekend in the Deam.
:-)”

“chili - hope you have a good week. Do the problems tend to be worse on weekends? I imagine the extra time with less to do can't help. I know some folks with the daylight depression....whatever it's called. Longer hours of darkness really effects lots of folks. I think it effects me to a degree. I hope you have a great holiday. Are you headed anywhere or are the kids headed your direction?”

“dayhiker its called seasonal affective depression - SAD - link : http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/2300/2361.asp?index=9293
last edited: 12/18/06 1:24:51 PM”

“Yeah, there we go. I have a good friend that has to go on anti depressants for a few months each year because of it.”

“So? Are the depressed so depressed because they are self-centred and just full of self pity? Or are they the souls who suffer from a selfish society that praises a self-centred life style (individualism)?
In the first assumption we can blame the individual for their missery.
If we beliefe the second answer more to be the truth then we can blame...well...
...uhm...?...oh forget it!”

“Sad....

started thinkin' bout how the holidays used to be with my grandparents. Guess it just got to me. Will be the first year both gone.

I remember the tree every year. So many ornaments. It would take at least a day to get everything up, and grandpa would decorate the deer head on the wall with tinsel, ornaments and a santa hat. It was a 9 point buck he was proud of. And on the mantal above the fire place would be greens and holly from the garden tucked in admist the carved decoys he loved to work on.
Grandma would get out the fancy lace table clothes, and the good china and silver and fix a feast for everyone.

Grandma would buy a bunch of whole cloves and we would stick em into fresh oranges and hand them untill they dried, and they would smell so good.

Gosh I miss them....

Holidays suck any more.

Ignore this, just had to get it out.
last edited: 12/17/07 8:09:14 PM”

“I am so sorry. My best friend is going through the exact same thing this year.”

“I remember as a child, every christmas I would have to dress up in a velvet dress and tights and shiny black shoes LOL but christmas morning we could stay in our footy pajamas for most of the morning :) I really don't miss the tights. They were itchy.
last edited: 12/17/07 8:17:42 PM”

“ZC, I remember those days too, but that was 13 plus years ago....keep the great memories, they remain past the hurt. Those are good things you pass on........”

“I remember as a child, every christmas I would have to dress up in a velvet dress and tights and shiny black shoes

Nothing stopping you from doing that now, then taking a picture, and posting it on here. That should cheer you up.”

“I don't think I can fit into that dress now. I can never go back to being that child in velvet. But I can remember it. My grandparents, during the time they had custady, gave us a pretty darn good life.
last edited: 12/17/07 8:23:56 PM”

“My first Christmas after my mother died was a hard one. Most of my good holiday memories are of her.”

“My wife's mother died on Christmas in 1997. It happened unexpectedly. Since then, Christmas has never been the same. It doesn't matter how good Christmas is, or what we do, or where we go, my wife always ends up getting upset from thinking of her Mom.”

“Sorrow doesn't last forever. Love does.”

“All my Christmases have been special to me. Yeah I have had some that I missed people but you know....

I found out a few years ago I cannot move forward as long as I keep looking backward.”

“Spirit...I am right there with ya. I miss my grandparents so bad. The holidays have nevre been the same for me since they passed away. My favorite Christmas memorie is on Christmas Eve...sitting in front of a huge picture window looking out into the night sky just knowing with all my heart that I could see Santa.

Mata posted a great reminder this morning on the Get Up thread..and XL basically said the same thing. "Don't let the past steal your present."

We have to enjoy today, make new memories and rejoice over the holiday!

Pick something special and start a tradition for yourself...and hold onto it to share with your kids.”

“Awww, I'm sorry, Spirit! Sounds like you have a lot of good memories though. I looooove my grandma, I'm going to be really really really really sad when she's not here anymore. Good thing the ladies in the family tend to live a long time...her mom (my great-grandmother) only passed away last year.”

“Christmas to me (aside from Jesus' birth) is about reminiscing. I like the big colorful bulbs on the tree because it reminds me of childhood. As adults, a lot of people would benefit by thinking of the holidays in those terms.

Also, use the time to find joy in others. Seek out children (no stalking allowed), and share in their joy. Feeling blue? Put together something real special for somebody, even a stranger, and make their holiday.

Come on people. Snap out of it. (hehe)”

“Those are good ideas Sarge. I adopted one of the little girls in the orphanage I will be visiting. It was so much fun shopping for her. Crazy enough she wanted black platform boots...in HONDURAS!!! LOL

We also bought a wagon for my nieces this year...it was fun putting it together...we haven't had to put toys together in years. (for those of you grumbling while you are doing it...remember it is only temporary!) I can't wait to see their faces when they see it.”