Suicides among so-called baby boomers are reaching epidemic proportions, according to a recent Washington Post article. These are the folks born at the end of World War II (1945), and are presently in the retirement range. They (“boomers”) are “killing themselves at an alarming rate, raising the question: Why?”
The writer cites the example of Frank Turkaly, a 63 year-old retiree in Pittsburgh who attempted suicide after tiring of living on disability checks, and being estranged from friends and family; mounting credit card debt led to depression, accompanied by other physical maladies of diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. He said it wasn’t the life he envisioned as a young man, “when people were more in tune with each other; people were more prone to help each other.”
While he regrets his attempt to overdose on tranquilizers, he blames “social isolation.” But unfortunately he is far from alone; he is part of an alarming trend among baby boomers whose suicide rates have “shot up precipitously between 1999 and 2010.” The article suggests that there are no concrete reasons for this increase. The recent economic downturn has some bearing, as it has in other generations. Some psychologists and academics suggest a “complex matrix of issues particular to a generation that vowed not to trust anyone older than 30;” they belted out lyrics like, “I hope I die before I get old.”
Significantly, these folks reached their prime in the Woodstock
This was the era of “change” from which we’ve not recovered. Although not perfect, the social and financial solidarity of the 50s was soon to be lost. The removal of the Bible and prayer from public life had a profound impact on the character and philosophy of our populace, particularly our young people. The moral (or immoral) revolution paid its toll, and the rest is history. The seeds of selfishness and rebellion were sown prolifically, and now the harvest is coming in. The “if it feels good, do it” mentality has led to a dead end!
We were put here for a purpose other than seeking pleasure and wealth. There’s no meaning for life apart from the One who gave it. Every manufacturer supplies a manual with his product. So God gave us a Manual to clue us in on who we are, and how we should function in this world. It also deals with fixing “dysfunction,” and how to prepare for the next life; in turn, that equips us to live now. One intriguing statement it makes is, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul” (The Bible).
Just recently a younger Brooklyn couple who hosted a monthly “self-help” radio show, killed themselves in their apartment. Lynne Rosen, 46, and John Littig, 48, committed suicide by “placing plastic bags over their heads and inhaling helium.” Their show was called “The Pursuit of Happiness.”
The reader can make the judgment call here. Did they find or exemplify the “happiness” which they proclaimed? What was their modus operandi, or formula for making it through this treacherous world in a sane manner? What was their definition of “success?” Just asking!
Never have we had so much in our country, and never have we had so little! We can text and talk with others in mini-seconds, even though we have nothing important to say. Never has there been more speaking and less communication. The boomers, and others, have attempted to master their own destinies, rejecting and ignoring the Manual which alone offers purpose and hope. Only a right relationship with our Creator can secure future hope, and thus promote true “happiness” during this earthly journey.
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