A MAN AND A TRAIN TRACK

I saw this video on Facebook of a man standing in the middle of a train track trying to commit suicide. Another man, a passer-by saw his desperation and decided to step in to save him.

The shirtless man standing on the tracks was at the end of his rope, obviously. The video didn't say why or how the man found himself in front of a train, but I'm guessing it had to be something horrible that put him there. Perhaps he lost his job or a family member. Or maybe, just maybe he had a mental illness.

Who's to say what that man was feeling at that moment. I don't know. What I do know is that he didn't die that day. He didn't die because another man stepped in to help.

A man got out of his car when he saw the other man standing on the tracks. What he did next amazed me and made me think - would I have the courage to do the same.

The passer-by didn't do anything more that just talk to the man. He stood there, in front of the tracks talking to him, trying to convince him to come off the tracks. He tried to get him in his car. The man wouldn't budge. He was determined to die that day. But the other man was determined to save him.

We've all been there in one way or another. We've all have found ourselves on those tracks at some point. Every human being on this planet that has ever existed or will ever exist at one point or another has wondered what death would be like. Many have even thought about what it would be like to end their own life. I know I have. You see, I have a mental illness - bipolar disorder.

I've stood in front of those tracks. Except for me it wasn't train tracks, it was a bottle (5 to be exact) of pills, a fifth of vodka, and a bottle of bleach. Ya, b.l.e.a.c.h., that's not a typo. I was so desperate and determined to die that I ingested 8 ounces of bleach. But the bleach, vodka, and pills didn't kill me, they only highlighted my need for some form of intervention. I didn't have anyone to step in and say, "Don't do it man, it ain't worth it." Well maybe I did (the guy upstairs) have someone watching my six that April morning in 2006.

That was the day I officially began my struggles with bipolar disorder. And man, what a struggle it's been. I've been on a rollercoaster of emotions and a whirlwind of experiences. I've crashed my car into a light pole (intentionally). I've poured boiling water on my arm (2nd degree burn). I've burned my kneecap with my wife's curling iron. And after all those acts of desperation I found myself in the psych ward of a mental health facility - not somewhere I ever want to return to.

Now back to the man and the train track. The video was about five minutes long. That's how long it took the passer-by to save the man's life. Just as the train approached, he grabbed the man by his waist and threw him to safety. They both sat on the ground looking at each other for a beat. Then the desperate man lunged at the other guy and gave him an embrace. It was the type of hug that communicated his greatfulness, without the need for words. They let the train pass and they both got into the car and drove off.

This story had a happy ending because a man was willing to stop and say to another man, "Listen bro, it ain't worth it." Perhaps that's not exactly what he told the other guy, but I'm sure it's pretty close.

So next time you encounter someone with a mental illness, stop for a second and listen. More often than not that is all any of us needs, someone to listen to us, to show that they care.

Depression can strike any of us - family, friends, or even co-workers. It doesn't have to be a stranger that you help, it can be someone YOU know.

So when you encounter a man (or woman) standing on that proverbial train track, step in and listen - just listen. It can save a life.

End