Yesterday I finished Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. This was his first book and was released 2007. I purchased it after Selena Gomez posted on Facebook that she received her script for the movie. It is a little bit sad that I trust a famous persons review of a book over that of friends and acquaintances, but that is not the reason I am writing this blog. I am writing this because after reading and feeling both perspectives of two different people it has had me thinking. Thinking and asking questions that I will doubtfully receive the answers for. So lets dive in!
I think I will start by giving a synopsis of the book just incase you haven’t read it. It will also help you understand this blog. Hannah Baker recorded seven tapes, each side of the tapes was a story about a person who took Hannah for granted. The tapes were sent out the day she committed suicide. There was no return address on the box that the first person received. Once they were done listening they were to send it on the next person. While reading the book through one of the characters thoughts you read the tapes and her story. It was a massive snowball affect.
After reading it I was not only heart broken that no one saw the blunt indications, but I wondered if I had missed some signs of people screaming out to me in high school.
The book was beautifully written. Especially with how dark its intensions and truths are. A lot of people don’t know what goes on in the mind of someone thinking about suicide, the readers an inside look at what may possibly going on in the mind of the person.
Suicide is a very real, very tragic reoccurrence. In many cases no one sees the signs and if they do they don’t know what to do with them. It is a very fragile topic, saying the wrong thing may or may not push the person to think more deeply on it. So what can we really do? We can listen to everything, expressions, emotions, changes in personality. Once we get that we can show our concern by being more opened to them confiding in us about their troubles. Once we do that maybe just maybe we can be the light and tether they need to keep going.
I am asking anyone who reads this to look around and be more open to those friends, acquaintances, co-workers, fellow students. If you see someone who looks like they need a shoulder then reach out to them. Show them you are different then those who belittled them.
