You can't help but listen to the news and get bombarded by economic statistics, unemployment stats, business stats, mortgage stats...images of politicians, economists...it's overwhelming. But some where under the rubble of the economic fall out are lives that seem insignificant as compared to the well being of economic institution. I'm really beginning to see reality of the " people side " of the depression in my workplace. Media calls it " recession ", I'm calling it depression because of what I'm seeing and experiencing.
Visits to the emergency department on a graph would looking similar to the start of the sub-prime mortgage fiasco. It's getting to point on a daily basis we can hardly keep up...it's a treadmill. Just this week we've had 4 suicide attempts.
This morning ( no names ), middle aged man brought in by ALS ( Advanced Life Support ) crew. The guy lost his job about a month and half ago, debt problems...he could be your neighbor. He's your average family guy, wife and 2 kids. But with no job, no money, and with that, a terrible strain on the marriage. Fight, arguing...husband leaves the house. The guy is now basically homeless, living in a warehouse.
Last night, life completely unraveled...alcohol, couple of bottles of pills, and a knife. The guy slashes wrists, looses a couple of liters of blood. He's wheeled through the ER doorway.
I had an opportunity to talk to him as I collected specimens for a barrage of lab tests. He just kept mumbling the same thing over and over...." I've never been alone before...I've never been alone before."
What is happening, is far deeper than money...something that is effecting the soul of humanity. I'm seeing the spiritual fall out of this mess more and more. Something we tend to be ignoring. Putting our trust in money got us into this mess, and pouring more into this black hole will not build trust. We need to discover again the reality of what humanity is...and in that we will find hope.
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