Daze and nights
Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review. I’m just going to be really, really honest and say what’s on my mind here this week. The holidays bum me out. I’m a childless divorcee in my mid-30s, so big surprise, right? But I know I’m not the only one.
The idea that suicide rates skyrocket during the Christmas season is just an urban legend, but the holiday blues remain a matter of fact. And, like a lot of people, I find myself suffering from them. There are big parties and big crowds all over town—and, even in the midst of it, I feel very much alone. It’s easy to have too many after-shifters at the bar, to smoke too much pot and to blame all the indulgence on “the holidays.” And, again, I know I’m not the only one.
By the time you read this, Christmas will be over and New Year’s Eve on its way. Through the haze of what’s becoming my perpetual holiday hangover, I can already see the light of the post-holiday season dawning. I know that I’ll feel better once the Christmas music and lights and trees have been stashed away. I just need to keep it together for another week or so.
If you’re also struggling, I hope you, too, will hold out for happier times. Drink another glass of eggnog. Don’t drive afterward. Find someone with whom you can talk. If things get really tough, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. They answer the phone 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year: 1-800-273-8255.