Suicide is an answer to a problem. Unrelenting despair and pain consume us and our attempts to mitigate the effects seem fruitless. Without hope, our last hope is found in a turn to the final solution, an eternal escape from our tiring, soul crushing world. One aspect of suicide that…
I just spoke to a group of first responders from around Michigan this past Saturday at Kalamazoo Community College. The Michigan State Fire Marshall, Kevin Sehlmeyer, and KVCC’s, Marty Meyers, were kind enough to coordinate the event. Both are deeply committed to helping firefighters and all first responders live the…
I have received some heartbreaking messages lately and a few reminded me of my own darkness. I wrote the following poem when I was certain my life would end at the barrel of a gun pointed by myself. Faith seemed like a joke. I didn’t realize it then, but the struggle…
I get messages like the following and they floor me. Every time. I wrote the poem this young man references when I could barely leave my bedroom and was completely consumed by pain, anger, and despair. At it’s worse, PTSD makes you feel like garbage. The idea that I’d soon…
“If you are going through hell, keep going.” A quote from the great Winston Churchill. How awesome and true is that? But what do many of us do when all hope seems lost? We stagger around for help. We look for the easy way out. We try to cut our…
I had the privilege to speak and perform at Camp Atterbury, IN tonight for the about thirty members of the base command group. They are an outstanding team who help prepare our troops for combat and then help them prepare for life after combat when they return. After my performance…
