David Carradine

I just saw online that David Carradine has died, apparently suicide. I e-mailed my husband, whose response was "What a waste." Both of us were big fans of the tv show Kung Fu, and my husband enjoyed Carradine in all the Kill Bill movies. The man was really talented, and that talent will be missed. I just wish he hadn't done it. Suicide is never the way out, no matter what the problem. IMHO.

I've seen what happens to families when someone takes his/her own life. My daughters-in-law (current and former) both have had families affected by suicide. Wendy's father killed himself. Heather's cousin killed himself. Unfortunately, the suicide of someone always has repercussions. Others will follow suit, some because they admired the person who died, others because suddenly, it seems more do-able if this other person did it successfully. I worry so much about people I love because many of them have horrible sad lives (like Sally).

Yet--what a big caveat!--I empathize when the person who takes his or her own life has done so because of painful terminal illness or reasons similar. These days, when even a minor hospital stay can bankrupt a family, I can understand that if a person is faced with many, many hospitalizations, with no real hope for a cure, that person would probably not want to create insurmountable debt for survivors to have to pay. And since I've dealt with enough pain to have respect for how debilitating constant pain can be, I can sympathize with someone who deals constantly with pain and wants it to end.

Is there a greater burden on people who are famous or talented or "special" in some way to avoid suicide? Of course there should not be. First and foremost, they are all human beings, capable of suffering, no matter how healthy the bank account or how many fans idolize them. But like my husband, I am angry whenever I hear about another suicide, simply because I too have suffered a loss. And it sets such a dangerous precedent for others who may be in pain.