Page 27 - THE ENDLESS WAVE | Skateboarding, Death & Spirituality

THE ENDLESS WAVE | PART ONE
Suicide, Skaters and Me
Ijust worked at a funeral service that thankfully, we don’t see too often. It was for a middle-aged man who was a husband, father, camp director and artist. At age 47, he decided that the depression he was battling was too much and he took his own life.
When it comes to describing the amount of grief and emotional anguish felt by the family, I am truly at a loss for words. The amount of devastation that suicide creates in its path is incalculable. I know this because I am an eyewit- ness to it. This funeral wasn’t just sad or painful, it was tragic. To see a son now fatherless is something that you never forget. As much as his mother, aunts, uncles and grandparents tried to console this boy, they all knew noth- ing would bring back his father.
This book is about discussing death and dying through the lens of two skate- boarders. You knew this when you decided to start reading. We know that sui- cide is a very difficult topic but feel that it must be discussed. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please, stop reading and seek help immediately.
I am not an expert on suicide, but I do know that men, 45-54 equate to 80% of all suicides in the USA. For those men in this demographic who still skate, I feel it is vital they are aware of this shocking statistic.
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