Out of The Darkness, Into The Light!

Black Bear:

Out of The Darkness, Into The Light!:  Kids need a safe place to go to--We ALL need a safe place to go to!!

Was sitting in the waiting room at the optometrist today, waiting for my wife Joy.  I had my earbuds in and iPhone blasting--White Buffalo singing House of the Rising Sun.  I must have been jamming pretty good because this lady sitting across from him asked me what I was listening to?!

I let her listen to it, and she loved the bass, as do I.  She talked about her 17 year old son who was learning to play guitar and that he would really like it.  I told her about my involvement in suicide prevention among Native American youth, and the use of the arts--music included--to let them express themselves.  The look on her face and response was such a gift!

Turns out that her mother had taken her own life when this lady was three years old.  And, she had also tried to commit suicide when she was 13!  And, then, her son, had tried to hang himself when he was eleven years old!!  Damn!  Then she began to tell me how all of this had changed her life and the things that she and her husband were doing.  They lived in a small community, and began to "adopt" or take in young people who were hurting--this community was in a county that had very high rates of drug use--parents and increasingly the youth.  They converted a garage into a "play room" with video games and a pool table--refreshments were available.  The young people knew that they were welcome anytime.

One of the critical components of a crisis intervention plan, for suicide prevention, is identification of "safe houses" for the youth.  Young people "know" who they can trust, who they can go to, when the "darkness" starts closing in--a safe place.  Being in this place and around "good and loving" people gives them hope!