Niagara Falls
cats&flowers
I wrote the Taughannock Falls story for my creative writing class - supposedly one of my earliest memories.
I failed to mention that a friend and co-worker of mine at City Hall, in Buffalo, New York, committed suicide by going over Niagara Falls Easter weekend, 1978. I have always had a very hard time dealing with that, and with the guilt I have felt in knowing that most likely a conversation I had with him the last day of work before he took his own life caused him to make that decision. It has been a difficult thing to live with.
I wrote the Taughannock Falls story for my creative writing class - supposedly one of my earliest memories.
I failed to mention that a friend and co-worker of mine at City Hall, in Buffalo, New York, committed suicide by going over Niagara Falls Easter weekend, 1978. I have always had a very hard time dealing with that, and with the guilt I have felt in knowing that most likely a conversation I had with him the last day of work before he took his own life caused him to make that decision. It has been a difficult thing to live with.
posted by Rita Xavier @ 8:34 PM
4 Comments:
At 5:52 AM, October 21, 2004,
Carrie Kelley said…
Sorry, Mom, I don't think you're that powerful. Most likely this person had been sick long before the suicide, and what you said the day before probably didn't even register in your aquaintance's mind...probably wasn't even listening to you!
At 9:30 AM, October 21, 2004,
kitten said…
Rita..thank you for the kind words. it means alot.
But I have to agree with your daughter....that person was sick long before your conversation. suicide is rarely a split second decision, id wager that he had been contemplating it for some time. please try to let go of your guilt, it is such a worthless human emotion.
kitten
At 3:46 PM, October 21, 2004,
Rita Xavier said…
Yes, the person was definitely sick before he ended his life, but it was the content of our conversation that caused me to feel that way. Also, the Superintendent of Personnel, in the office where we both worked, called me into his office when I first arrived at work after the weekend, and told me the news, before he told anyone else in the office. My friend must have left a note in his car at the Falls.
At 7:59 PM, October 21, 2004,
Rita Xavier said…
Thanks for the input; I like hearing from people. Interesting story. Good luck with what you are trying to accomplish.
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