Well, it's been an interesting day at work.

Our office basically is one giant open room, split up by dividers instead of walls. Everybody can hear you on the phone, etc.

Around 10:30 this morning, I heard one of my co-workers take a phone call. First she sounded shocked, then she started crying hysterically. It turns out her brother-in-law killed himself this morning.

This happens to me all the time with hearing about self-injurious behavior -- if I hear somebody talk about it, for a while it increases my urge to do it, whether I'm really that far gone or not. But lately I have been pretty darn depressed -- and hearing about Mary's BIL, while horrible, also made me think, even if briefly, "Hey! That's a possible way out!"

I am NOWHERE NEAR suicidally depressed right now -- been there once this year and have no desire to go back, and this is only the beginning of an episode, not the end. But how twisted do I have to be to consider the option after hearing somebody's misfortune?

In the newspaper biz, this is why, in obituaries, we don't list the method of death for suicides, or even attribute the death to suicide unless it's been confirmed by the police or medical examiner. Too many people get the idea stuck in their heads after hearing it. I just didn't think I would be one of them. Am I just weird?

Candy