He was described by one LA Times pop music critic as follows: Chris Cornell \u201cwas one of the great rock \u2019n\u2019 roll singers \u2014 an octave-jumping belter who rose to fame as part of the 1990s\u2019 scruffy grunge scene but whose powerful instrument put him in league with the grandstanding rock icons of an earlier era, including the Who\u2019s Roger Daltrey and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin\u2026 Almost as impressive as Cornell\u2019s voice was his musical curiosity, an open-minded spirit that set him apart\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Cornell, talented as he was, reportedly took his own life last Wednesday at the age of 52.<\/p>\n
Closer to home, multiple teens in my town, also reportedly took their own lives last week\u2026 one on the last day of his last year in high school\u2026 another at the end of only year one.<\/p>\n
My heart grieves when one intentionally ends a life\u2026 another\u2019s or their own.<\/p>\n
Let me clearly state that the Intramuralist is no expert. I am thankful to have peers and professionals who actually are experts in dealing with suicide prevention and mental illness, some who have advised me regarding the contents of this post. This post is not enough; it won\u2019t come anywhere close to doing the topic of suicide prevention justice. But one of those peers boldly encourages us to \u201cspeak 2 save\u201d (see www.speak2save.org<\/a> for more info),<\/em> empowering people to speak up in order to prevent suicide. With a sobered heart, for at least now, this is a humble attempt to speak up\u2026<\/p>\n First, this is serious. On average, there are 121 suicides each day in this country. For every death, 25 more attempt it. Suicide is now the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. With something this prominent and this serious, we need to be talking about it. We need to share the God-honest, sobering truth. And we need to especially be talking to the young people around us.<\/p>\n Second, there is no place here for shame. For those who struggle with mental illness \u2014 or for friends and families who have numbingly walked through this gut-wrenching heartache, they do not need nor merit any shame. What they need are our fervent prayers, our generous grace, and a willingness to walk alongside them, whatever that may look like.<\/p>\n And third, so many say they \u201chad no idea\u201d intentionally ending one\u2019s life was even an option for their loved one. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, we need to watch another\u2019s talk, behavior, and mood\u2026<\/p>\n If they talk<\/strong> about\u2026<\/p>\n If they behave<\/strong> like\u2026<\/p>\n And if they display moods<\/strong> such as\u2026<\/p>\n We need to be aware of various, significant suicidal risk factors \u2014 health, environmental, and historical factors. These include mental health conditions, stressful life events, and exposure to the suicide attempt(s) of another.<\/p>\n This is hard. Time to speak up.<\/p>\n Respectfully\u2026 He was described by one LA Times pop music critic as follows: Chris Cornell \u201cwas one of the great rock \u2019n\u2019 roll singers \u2014 an octave-jumping belter who rose to fame as part of the 1990s\u2019 scruffy grunge scene but whose powerful instrument put him in league with the grandstanding rock icons of an earlier … <\/p>\n\n
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\nAR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"