Waking Ear

Elliott Smith/"Tomorrow Tomorrow" -- Ouch. Still reeling.

I know a couple of people peripherally who have committed suicide, and I know one person very closely who has seriously considered it. I can't pretend to know what was going through Elliott's head, but I know that he must have been hurting so bad. Emotional pain is every bit as severe as physical pain. In some cases, it hurts even more.

When I heard the news yesterday, I thought immediately about a very mentally ill friend of mine and how close she's come to doing something like this. I spent a good chunk of my life trying to singlehandly help her get better. I couldn't do a damn thing.

But we can all help in one way. We can support political endeavors to change the mental health care system in this country. We can treat people with mental health problems with respect and dignity. And we can donate money and time to organizations that help people who are hurting.

I'm trying to think right now about how I can do the latter. If anybody knows of a good organization in the Dallas area, let me know.