MY TWO BUDDIES - MISTERS SMITH & WESSON

     I am currently sitting at my desk in the company of my 'two friends' - Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson. My revolver is a beautiful classic - a Model 19 .357 magnum. It's blued steel with diamond-scored wooden grips. It has a 4-inch barrel and hold six cartridges, but all I would need is one. At over two pounds, it gets a little heavy to hold, but that's okay; I'm not holding it - I'm just looking at it; for now. It's just there on my desk. Harmless.

     In a moment, reach down and pick it up; it's got some heft to it - it's actually fairly heavy (relatively speaking) and solid. I extend my arm and deliberately aim it at the TV screen and then up at the ceiling and then slowly swing the end of the barrel around and place it against my right temple. And then I pull it back and bring the barrel up under my chin. I hold it there for a moment. And then I put the gun back on my desk.

     One pull of the trigger is all it would take, and it would be over. Any future I have would end right there.
  
     Or if I wanted to have some fun and prolong the matter, I could remove all the bullets except one, spin the cylinder, point the gun at my head and pull the trigger to see what happens.

     Please understand I wouldn't take either action. You want to know why? I didn't think so, but I'll tell you anyhow. I wouldn't do either because I am smart enough and aware enough  to know what would happen. The result would be a permanent solution to what is really a temporary problem. 

     Whether immediately or eventually, I would die, which I really don't want to do. I have too much to live for. I know exactly what would happen, and I also know there is no Narcan-like dose to reverse the effects of a gunshot wound. Somewhere along the way, I learned and understand cause and effect. If I were to perform either option mentioned above, I would die (or spend the rest of my life in a vegetative state) because when what's done is done, it can't be undone.

     I remember telling my daughter (probably many times as she grew up) never to try drugs... not even once! In a way, it's kind of like the same thing with the same result. The contemporary wisdom is if one does drugs, it ends when they either get clean or get dead.

     If you don't do drugs, don't start! If you do, take the first most difficult step and say, "I need help!"   

     1-800-662-HELP (4357)

     Please.