posted by sooyup
on
Daily trivia
Depression is a frightening thing. A couple of years after we retired here, posters appeared in local shop windows asking, “Have you seen this man?” We thought at first that it was a publicity stunt. The man in question was a popular member of the local amateur dramatic society, and we had seen him give several lively performances. But the posters were genuine. He had disappeared after leaving the house one evening without a word. Several days later, his body was washed up on the shore, the assumption being that he had walked into the sea or jumped off the bridge over the estuary. There have been moments in my life when I have known how he must have felt. What is truly frightening is that there doesn’t necessarily have to be a reason for feeling so low. It is as if a dark cloud blots out the sun. You can’t control the cloud but, with time, you may learn to control your fear of the shadow it casts. And sometimes, if you pretend you are unaffected, you can convince even yourself.
Depression is a frightening thing. A couple of years after we retired here, posters appeared in local shop windows asking, “Have you seen this man?” We thought at first that it was a publicity stunt. The man in question was a popular member of the local amateur dramatic society, and we had seen him give several lively performances. But the posters were genuine. He had disappeared after leaving the house one evening without a word. Several days later, his body was washed up on the shore, the assumption being that he had walked into the sea or jumped off the bridge over the estuary. There have been moments in my life when I have known how he must have felt. What is truly frightening is that there doesn’t necessarily have to be a reason for feeling so low. It is as if a dark cloud blots out the sun. You can’t control the cloud but, with time, you may learn to control your fear of the shadow it casts. And sometimes, if you pretend you are unaffected, you can convince even yourself. 
