The Catalyst

My name is Jeff Gibbs.

I am twenty one, I have parents who love me, and friends who I love dearly, and I contemplated suicide.

Everyone feels overloaded sometimes, and some, more than others.

Stress is just a by-product of life that we all learn to deal with.

Some of us, however, deal with it in unhealthy ways.

Some drink. Some injure themselves. Some contemplate ending their lives.

I sat for a week, and stared at this bullet. Bullets are honest. They have a way of making you face the truth. And it was truth I wanted.

Truth is, I was afraid to die. Truth is, I would miss two of my friends, both whom I love very, very much, far too much and would injure them far too deeply with my actions.

Whatever the future may bring, whether good or evil, I'm glad I didn't take my own life. I'm glad to be alive, to own my pain and my problems and my joy and my happiness.

I'm not going to say all wounds are healed, both on my account and on yours, reader. I'm not going to promise rainbows and sunshine, because, at times, life is dark and rainy. But for those who choose to believe in a better tomorrow, you have a second chance.

A second chance in an empty chamber.