I was on the subway last night and there was an announcement that there was a “traveller’s incident”, a pseudonym for someone who committed suicide on the railroad tracks. I was stunned at the announcement, that they will be cleaning up, so no lines will be running on line 10, I believe. Raphaelle then told me- it happens all the time.
“All the time?” I asked, still not believing what had just happened.
“Yeah- maybe once a week or so.”
I couldn’t believe it. How could this be happening so often in this City of Lights and Love? My immediate thought was that the government should put some gates or SOMETHING to prevent more from doing that. But I realized I needed to think deeper- there is obviously some deeper, more intense problem of putting gates so people couldn’t jump the tracks. Even in my country too, suicide rates are pretty high. I couldn’t help but think of the time of the death of a student in Northwestern, two incident just in my 3 years there that took their lives.
Are we not seeing the pain that is around us? Is there NO ONE that they could talk to before they jumped? And, am I not paying attention to the pain or the emptiness that others are experiencing? What has our society become? Raphaelle, Mark, Kristin and I watched the new movie A Modern Family, I think it was called and it talked about how we are “always pressed for time, always stressed, always late. And maybe that is why we are called the human race.” But maybe we need to come back to what is important, human relationships- to really make time for people, people we love. For in communities that don’t have the fast-moving trains and the tall buildings and the hustle and bustle of life, it seems they know more about life than we do and rejoice in what they have an abundance of- friends.
So for all of you out there reading this- thank you for being my friend.
Love,
Meixi
With Raphaelle eating a typical french breakfast!
Apple crumble making 🙂
