One in ten people we pass every day suffer from depression, many from deep depression. The great psychiatrist William James termed this being "alone in a crowd." Such incidents as this should give us all pause to contemplate whether a kind word or gesture would have helped this individual crawl from beneath his desperation.

Sometimes all it takes is for someone to pay attention, to take notice. I wonder if a friendly Hello would have helped this individual though one more day of coping with the problems of every day life that confront and often confound all of us?

I've noticed over the years that even in friendly Newton Falls, more and more of us know fewer and fewer neighbors. Once upon a time, if somebody's car stalled in traffic, about 5 people would jump out of their cars, push the failing vehicle out of traffic, and stand there diagnosing the problems. Now, our neighbors are more apt to drive around the stranded vehicle even if doing so violates traffic laws and even if the broken down car belongs to their next door neighbor. Why has our once friendly community become so apathetic, so isolated?

And to address pepperlawson's concern, I might mention that the police can't do much anymore. There simply is not much money left for funding projects that would help the mentally distressed or emotionally problematic people. There use to be all kinds of programs to help people like those in this case. That is no longer true. And without some kind of program oversight, even the police are powerless to help until to problem escalates to a life or death situation, by which time, intervention comes too late. Citizens do not want to pay for such programs. They don't want to pay for our schools. Now days, they are even too apathetic to participate in local clubs, organizations or even civic issues. It is far too easy to turn on the TV and forget there is a world beyond their four walls that needs their involvement.

Later,

Darrell