Chapter Six in “Decades with the Squad,” by William Palmer Jervey, Jr.
The young fellow had “broken up” with his girlfriend and decided that life was not worth living. With some effort one can understand that much. The method or procedure by which he attempted to end it all really staggers the imagination.
He loaded a 12-guage with bird shot and tied the weapon on the dining room table. Then he tied a string to the trigger, ran the string around a table leg and unrolled the remainder out ten feet beyond the muzzle of the shotgun. Here he took his position and yanked the string, taking the load in his midsection. At this point he decided he didn’t want to die and called the rescue squad.
He had an awful wound, complete with evisceration. We applied a moist dressing, notified the sheriff, a legal requirement in all cases involving a gunshot wound, and promptly transported the young man to the emergency room. He eventually wound up in surgery where some of his innards were removed. In time he returned to health and strength; I hope to greater wisdom.
The sage words of a local philosopher stay with me. “He tried to commit suicide and durn near killed himself.”
Daddy’s key word here is “wisdom.”
This reminds me of another attempted suicide that someone brought up in Sunday school class as a miracle occurring. Now, while I am a believer, I occasionally take claims of miracles with (I hope quietly) a grain of salt. After all, as younger daughter once said, God isn’t likely to break his own laws.
Anyway the person in despair decided to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge, regretted it on the way down, and then landed on a soft and giving sea lion. I felt sorry for the sea lion, who probably sustained a terrible bruise. I hope that person learned some wisdom too.
I had never heard the sea lion story! I read up on it, and the survivor noted that he is one of less than one percent of jumpers who survive that fall. And it does sound like he has learned wisdom. He is now a mental health worker sharing his story, and he tells this coda: after he had recovered from his injuries, he and his father went to the spot he had jumped from and dropped a flower. When the flower hit the water, up popped a sea lion! So I’d say that was just one very helpful sea lion who happened to be on hand.
I am glad to hear the rest of the story!