The Writing and Photography Blog of Kevin J Sabo

Photo by Tracy Le Blanc on Pexels.com

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

It’s official, Lynn managed to break a bone for the first time ever.

At a follow-up doctors appointment today we were told that she managed to chip a bone in her ankle joint when she smacked her leg on the desk at work a couple weeks ago. It looks like she is going to be stuck in the boot and on crutches for awhile longer than anticipated.

It definitely isn’t pleasant being stuck on crutches this time of year. Lynn is adapting though, and as much as she’s not entirely happy about the situation, even she acknowledges that it could have been worse.

She could have hit her head, injured her neck, or any number of things. She didn’t. She broke a bone in her ankle. That is something you can heal from with time.

It’s amazing to think that an incident that occurred in a second can have ramifications for weeks. The second that Lynn falling over in her chair occurred, it changed both of our trajectories  for this fall.

One second. That is not a lot of time. Yet it’s enough time to alter one’s entire life.

One second is the difference between getting behind the wheel while impaired, and killing someone, and possibly yourself, or taking a cab home.

One second of in attention is all that is needed to hit the child stepping onto the street.

One second is all the time needed to decide to end your life, or not. That is what I would like to focus on for a minute.

I’ve been suicidal before. In all honesty, there are days I still am. There is a difference between having the thoughts, and actively acting on them.

I’ve been lucky. The times I have attempted suicide have left no permanent damage, aside from some scarring. Yet, the impact still follows me. Once I made the decision to end it, and acted on that decision, has changed the trajectory of my life.

Yes, I’ve been lucky. I’ve not crossed the line where I venture to not being able to reverse the decision. That fact gives me hope, even when the strategies for my demise in my mind get decidedly more lethal.

I know the thoughts can be dark, intrusive even. I know that once you slip into depression it feels like it will never end.

With Lynn’s accident, one second was what it took to break her ankle.

It can take one second to make a decision that will solve your pain, yet pass it on to your loved ones for life.

It can take one second to make another decision; pick up the phone and reach out for help. One second can change your life.

Kevin