A life ends, a new one begins

On October 1st I stepped down from my exec job to join the ranks of the consultants. It was a big day for me and I really look forward to the challenge. However, this great day was tarnished once I heard that a great friend of mine committed suicide the same day.

I had known "Barney" for over 40 years and always enjoyed his company. We went through all 12 years of school together and stayed in touch during the college years. He was the first guy I introduced my wife to as we had shared an apartment at the time. He had a very funny & dry sense of humor and seemed to have many of the same interests I had. We were both committed to learning, and often went against the status quo. He lived modestly - while most people aspire to save 10% of thier money, he SPENT 10% and saved 90%! And our conservative political nature was always on display for anyone who wanted to hear our opinion! Another thing I liked about Barney were his strengths in sports that weren't considered mainstream. While he wasn't strong in bench pressing or ball sports, he was an excellent skier, ping pong player, and could knock out 30 or more pullups any old day. He was wiry and limber. In short, everything I wasn't until I turned my ideas around on fitness.

After his death I learned that he had struggled with depression for over 20 years. I felt there were times he appeared to be a little off, but it seemed like he was always able to turn it around. As you might expect, this event has changed my views on depression big time. With my aspirations lying in the counseling field, I will no doubt take a very serious look into indiviudals who appear depressed. Doctors who push meds like candy still irritate me greatly, but determing who really needs it is very difficult. Often times dietary and fitness measures can make a big difference for people struggling with these type of issues. I still feel one should try all natural cures before drugs, and I want to give people HOPE that there could be an easier solution.

All in all, I want to thank Barney for help shaping me into the man I am today. He always offered a helping hand and kept me on my toes if my beliefs were faulty. I took many comments he made to heart and was glad I did. I am going to miss our long talks and BWCA trips. In the end, his faith in God will save him and to that I rest my case. RIP Barney, I will miss you!