Dear LPG,

I read your article entitled “Good morning” which was posted on 14 November 2017, and it got me thinking.   Things are changing as ED observed and we really do have to thank the many people who have moved to Britain from abroad for quite a big proportion of that change.  I remember my aunt telling me once that she thought the World Wars did not have many positive effects, but she was aware of how living through them brought communities closer because of their common anxieties and the feeling of everybody all being ‘in it together’. 

I was watching the news one evening this week and saw an article about the amount of suicide attempts that are made at railway stations each year.   The news story was appealing to the public to watch out for people who are showing the symptoms of suicidal behaviour, because a quick chat may change their minds.  The statistics show that there are relatively few older people who go down this path, but there are signs and behaviours to watch out for, not only when it comes to your friends. It can be hard to pinpoint someone who is showing symptoms that indicate that they are planning such an action, though one can often sense that something is wrong. 

You may come out of the experience feeling stupid because your fears were completely unfounded, or you have just talked with someone who now thinks you are quite mad, but I am sure that there are many other public places where people have these thoughts.

As ED said in that LPG post, just noticing, telling someone else of your fear, or even starting a conversation with someone could make all the difference, and you could even make a new friend.

NE, Beckenham