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I find I don’t wish to explore new lands, but to explore again those I have already passed through, trying to see what I’d missed in the first hectic rush … Gerard Van der Leun

Home→Published 2026 → September → 16

Daily Archives: September 16, 2026

Suicide: View From A Victim

The New American Digest Posted on September 16, 2026 by JeanSeptember 12, 2026

Author: Jean; Intro: DT

Jean's husband committed suicide almost 30 years ago. Ten years later, in response, she wrote of her experience in a 6-part series on her blog site, Pondering. She suggested it might be appropriate to re-post here.

This is a subject intensely personal but Jean was willing to share her experience that others in the same situation might gain some degree of peace.

"I think there's value in knowing what people will do to others and often, eventually, to themselves. What they end up doing to themselves is also doing to others. The others are the ones who have to live with what happened and deal with it for the rest of their lives. The others have to choose how much guilt they will allow themselves to live with and for how long. It is often a long process.

Guilt is often not deserved or necessary. Even forgiveness isn't always necessary because the others probably did nothing to cause the suicide. The others still have a life to live...for themselves. The best they can do is to live their life outside the shadow of what happened. Live in light.
"

The subject is disturbing to some so the (very long) article is not directly posted. If you wish to read the article, you can access it here.

Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Reply

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Contact: dt@newamericandigest.org

Gerard Van der Leun
12/26/45 - 1/27/23


Gerard's Last Post
(posthumous): Feb 4, 2023
"So Long. See You All a Little Further Down the Road"

When my body won’t hold me anymore
And it finally lets me free
Where will I go?
Will the trade winds take me south through Georgia grain?
Or tropical rain?
Or snow from the heavens?
Will I join with the ocean blue?
Or run into a savior true?
And shake hands laughing
And walk through the night, straight to the light
Holding the love I’ve known in my life
And no hard feelings

Avett Brothers - No Hard Feelings

The following was posted along with the announcement of Gerard's passing.
Leonard Cohen - Going Home

For a 2005 interview with Gerard


September 2026
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Most Recent Comments

  1. John Venlet on SuicideSeptember 16, 2026

    It's a lie that suicide is painless.

  2. jean on Suicide: View From A VictimSeptember 16, 2026

    Thank you, DT.

  3. azlibertarian on Tunesday: Bob Seger System – Train ManSeptember 15, 2026

    Most people don't understand money (I can only barely say that I do), but my guess is that Washington didn't…

  4. Joe on Tunesday: Bob Seger System – Train ManSeptember 15, 2026

    I would love to have had Bob do a song on this topic. Wall to wall--right at congress. "No generation…

  5. jean on ain’t no sunshine…September 15, 2026

    I'd love to see it all...including you. :-)


Blogroll
The New Neo
Jean's Blog - Pondering
The Feral Irishman

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,
play a song for me
I'm not sleepy
and there ain't no place I'm goin' to

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,
play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning,
I'll come followin' you

Take me for a trip upon
your magic swirling ship
All my senses have been stripped
And my hands can't feel to grip
And my toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin'

I'm ready to go anywhere,
I'm ready for to fade
Unto my own parade
Cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it


Men who saw night coming down about them could somehow act as if they stood at the edge of dawn.


From Gerard's site. The picture always caught my eye.

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