Fan that I am of letter writing, there’s one I wish no one would ever have to write: a suicide note.
September 10th is National Suicide Prevention Day.
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. One suicide occurrs every 15.2 minutes.
Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among 15- to 24-years-olds.
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are 3.4 times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers.
If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. As The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention program for LGBT teens, says, “It gets better.”
I found out about National Suicide Prevention Day through PostSecret. PostSecret is a mail art project begun by Frank Warren who, over several years now, has received hundreds of thousands of postcards from strangers sharing their secrets. Warren has published books of the postcards and now travels around speaking to audiences about the importance of sharing secrets. He’s also raising awareness about suicide prevention. Frank is convinced that sharing secrets is good for you. And I think he’s right.
You can share a secret, too. Make and send your postcard to:
PostSecret
13345 Copper Ridge Road
Germantown, MD 20874
For those of you who want to share a secret, but not buy a stamp (I can’t imagine there are many of those types reading this blog, but just in case!): PostSecret also now has a smart phone app. It’s the most popular app in Apple’s store right now. Guess we all have secrets.
So, share your secrets, get them off your chest, and ask for help if you need it. Saving snail mail is not just about keeping the post office alive. It’s about us connecting with one another, and maybe keeping us alive, too.