Perspective

This week, we are tackling the difficult topic of suicide
I don't even know if this is a song
Just some stuff I wrote about perspective
But to put it into perspective.

About being kind
Because you have no idea the bigger picture your words can lead to
Spread love
Be kind

We all fighting something
Let's not make at each other
46,000 people died by suicide in 2020
That's about 1,600 fewer than the year before

That's not much
This is the story of two kids
One of them wishes every day school ends
Tommy didn't have any friends

Nothing cool to do after school with
Lost in himself, silent lies left him feeling truthless
Every time he got asked how school went
Put on a smile and kept it moving

Scared to tell anyone what they were doing
What's the point with no way to prove it
Dad would just shrug
Kids will be kids, stand tough

So every time he walks into lunch
Billy throws him an apple, but not to suck up
Hits him in the head, but the heart's where it struck
Counting down to 315 for the rest of the month

When graduation comes, he's no longer stuck
But for now, get through the day, feeling no luck
They just sitting in math class
Every time the teacher turns his back

Billy flicks him in the head just to make the class laugh
He thinks about getting him back
His dad's shotgun he wouldn't even miss if he grabbed
Goes home, sits in the room, ready attack

Dad walks in, how was school he asks
Fighting the tears back, he mumbles, fine dad
He tells him dinner's ready in an hour and a half
Dad holding his thoughts in

Closes the door cause he don't feel like talking
In a way he's ashamed
Wanted a kid that did all the same things that he always did
In a way he got exactly as he wished

Dad bullied the kids just like his son for being different
Ten years later his son eases the pain
Grabs the gun meant for Billy but changes his aim
One shot and now everyone remembers his name

This is the story of two kids
One of them wishes every day school would never end
Not aware when it does he'll have no friends
They all off to college but he didn't get in

Ten years of drinking every day reminiscing
Looking at the trophies in his mother's basement
Goes to see himself, there's a different person
Wiping off the dust is Tommy's reflection

Knows he led the way, the football captain
Morgan ain't the reason for his actions
Shaken when he goes to put the key in his gun cabinet
A life for a life he feels is the only caption

Just before he blasts he wakes up gasping
One month to graduation I can change what happens
Spends the next years making up for his actions
Tommy started trading his tears for laughing

And Billy found a friend that's forever lasting
Amazing how one dream changed two bullets from ever happening
Now there is no single cause of suicide
While depression is the most common condition associated with it

It is often undiagnosed
Words
Words can change the world
Change yours and let's do it together

So some of the health risks involved in suicide
Things to watch out for
Long term harassment at school
Bullying

Maybe it's a relationship problem they just can't move past
Something stressful like a divorce
Or in this case maybe family financial crisis
One indicator of suicide right now is that so many people have lost loved ones because of this pandemic

And also jobs
Now there are ways to protect and intervene
To get in there before we get to this level
Connection to family and familial support

If your kid is going away everyday and they're on the internet and you're not having that interaction with them
Break that
Have some connection with them
Those touch points