I was just manning the phone during lunchbreak today when we heard that someone was threatening to jump from one of the high buildings near our office. We did what anyone would do. We searched for the right building,
And we found it. Just looked for a crowd of people gawking at a particular building and voila.
Then I noticed what I only get to see in the movies: the big round jumping net that are used by firemen to catch fleeing men trapped in burning buldings. I looked up and there he was, a man in a red shirt, about to jump, standing on the top banister of the fire exit stairs at the 14th or 15th floor of the SSS building (or maybe another building? ... i will know which one tomorrow, in the newspapers).
Suddenly, he fell backwards, into the platform of the stairs. Maybe outbalanced, or maybe he changed his mind. The rescuer ran as fast as he could and took hold of this would-be-puller of his own plug.
If I am not mistaken, this is a third attempt for the last two weeks. The first one was a man who thought of jumping from the MRT because he had too many encounters with the MMDA and lost his wares. The second was a man caught between the marital disputes of his parents.
And I think.
Think of the deep despair of a father who wants to feed his children yet lost again and again his source of earnings. Think how much he owed from an unscrupulous moneylender. His future, he believes, is sealed. A life-long drudgery with no end.
Think of the emotional turmoil of a son, caught between constant arguments and fights between two loved ones. He had enough. The continous assaults against his mind were too much. All of this must end.
And the red-shirted man. What was wrong in his life?
I do not know what went through their minds, these three lost men. Were they really that hopeless that they had no other recourse? Was the only answer death? Is life too hard that they rather face the unknown yet sure destination that is hell? I do not know if their pains are valid. We have different standards. Who knows but we might have done the same.
It saddens me though. Our society has created people and situations that make our lives living hells that individuals would opt to end their miserable existence. Our busy and materialistic world has stopped caring and providing options to those who are destitute and in despair. We are not reaching out enough. No wonder men are jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
Good thing they did not jump. They might have known too late. In reality, they might be jumping from living hells into forever hells.
And we found it. Just looked for a crowd of people gawking at a particular building and voila.
Then I noticed what I only get to see in the movies: the big round jumping net that are used by firemen to catch fleeing men trapped in burning buldings. I looked up and there he was, a man in a red shirt, about to jump, standing on the top banister of the fire exit stairs at the 14th or 15th floor of the SSS building (or maybe another building? ... i will know which one tomorrow, in the newspapers).
Suddenly, he fell backwards, into the platform of the stairs. Maybe outbalanced, or maybe he changed his mind. The rescuer ran as fast as he could and took hold of this would-be-puller of his own plug.
If I am not mistaken, this is a third attempt for the last two weeks. The first one was a man who thought of jumping from the MRT because he had too many encounters with the MMDA and lost his wares. The second was a man caught between the marital disputes of his parents.
And I think.
Think of the deep despair of a father who wants to feed his children yet lost again and again his source of earnings. Think how much he owed from an unscrupulous moneylender. His future, he believes, is sealed. A life-long drudgery with no end.
Think of the emotional turmoil of a son, caught between constant arguments and fights between two loved ones. He had enough. The continous assaults against his mind were too much. All of this must end.
And the red-shirted man. What was wrong in his life?
I do not know what went through their minds, these three lost men. Were they really that hopeless that they had no other recourse? Was the only answer death? Is life too hard that they rather face the unknown yet sure destination that is hell? I do not know if their pains are valid. We have different standards. Who knows but we might have done the same.
It saddens me though. Our society has created people and situations that make our lives living hells that individuals would opt to end their miserable existence. Our busy and materialistic world has stopped caring and providing options to those who are destitute and in despair. We are not reaching out enough. No wonder men are jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
Good thing they did not jump. They might have known too late. In reality, they might be jumping from living hells into forever hells.
2 comments:
I've never thought of using this metaphor this way. Good one, Jen. :-) Some biblical characters, at one point, wanted to die too. Even godly men like Elijah and Job yet of course, they were able to overcome this sense of hopelessness about life. But this tells us that thoughts of suicide can happen even to the best of people.
I never really thought about killing myself though there were times in my life that i wished i was dead. We all have our weak moments, i guess. :- ) Good thing we know that the Bible says about taking our own lives. I am no Elijah nor Job but i can understand why they would want to end their lives. :- ) Thank God we have God!
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