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My sophomore English teacher asked each student to explore a social issue we were personally
familiar with.
Suicide came up as a topic.
And although I didn't have any personal experience with it,
I was familiar with suicidal feelings and depression.
The discussion came up as to how and why suicide happens,
as well as how to cope with suicidal feelings.
This is when our teacher advised us, with tears in her eyes, ”to run”.
She told us "when you need to get away and there’s no way out,”
"running will give you time to think, and make a decision that is based on thought and
not impulse."
Often when I am able, I run.
I don’t run far, but just enough to get away and clear my head.
Running isn’t forever, but suicide is…
there is no turning back, no second chances.
If you run, you get exactly that,
a second chance.
Each of us in that class remember her every word that day.
She cared, and because she cared, we listened,
and because we listened, lives were saved.
With a little time to think things through you can find a way to overcome the situation…
and survive.