Wednesday, November 30, 2011

We never know what's going on with a person

A lot of us in the Kansas City area are bummed out today.  One of our best-loved weathermen, Don Harman, died; it's rumored it was a suicide.  He leaves behind a wife and a small daughter.  He was forty-one years old.  
The guy was always laughing and cutting up with the Fox 4 gang.  You would have taken him to be one of the happiest people in the world.  
Now I'm reading that he had been battling with depression.  Cliff asked me, "What could he have to be depressed about?"  
Of course, Cliff knows as well as I do that you don't have to have a reason to be depressed; clinical depression sometimes occurs simply because the body's chemistry is out of whack.  
I wonder if S.A.D. (wintertime depression) entered into this at all.   
I wonder how the morning crew at Fox 4 held it together today.  
I wonder how Don's family is holding up.
I wonder if perhaps the rumor I've heard is false.  (Nope, this article confirms it.)  
I wonder how many others around me are struggling with depression, perhaps even someone who seems to be the life of the party.



Don’s family has set up a memorial fund that will benefit local Kansas City charities. If you’d like to make a donation, the information is below:
Don Harman Memorial Fund
Benefiting local Kansas City Charities
c/o Tightwad Bank
1160 SE Highway 7
Tightwad, Missouri 64735

11 comments:

  1. So Sad, praying for his family, hugs, Sherry

    ReplyDelete
  2. Here in the UK, the coach of the national soccer football team of Wales took his own life on Sunday - he was only aged 42. There had been no indication at all that anything was amiss, in fact his sporting career had been going nowhere but up. A complete mystery, that will probably never be resolved. Like that of your weather man. Keeping both families in thoughts at this time.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lindie5:16 PM

    I think a lot of us battle with depression. One of my brothers took his life and I feel so guilty. I should have known and helped him.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You are so right--you can't be sure what's going on in a person's head and you certainly shouldn't judge them. It's usually ugly, hurtful and just a waste of time.

    If anything, we can have sympathy and/or empathy for them, whoever they are, live or dead and, if dead, wish them peace and their family and friends sympathies, condolences and best wishes.

    ReplyDelete
  5. So sorry for his family and for all the people who enjoyed his weather broadcast.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It was the same with my daughters' former grade school principal. He had a large,funny, careful personality, yet shot himself this past September, right before school started. Hidden sides. A life that doesn't measure up to what others see. Problems that don't get dealt with because everyone thinks you are someone that you're not.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I meant carefree personality!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, this is really sad. There was apparently something in his life he was not able to face. Depression can make things seem worse than it really is. I remember seeing him somewhere - probably on a weather related video - perhaps over the Joslin MO tornadoes. He may have been clipped into the weather channel at some point covering a story on that storm. Anyway I hate this.

    ReplyDelete
  9. So sad for his family, colleagues and the viewing public. When depression gets a hold of you it doesn't lose it's grip. Usually professional help or medication is needed to turn things around. Take care. I am sorry for your loss.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yet one more example of not judging until you've "walkied in the other person's shoes."

    As you said, you can never know.

    ReplyDelete
  11. nerves05 ( nancy)7:20 AM

    Thats sad. I've battled depression for years and years. Its and ongoing battle thats for sure. It's a very dark place to be at times. But thank god i never seem to want to take my life or hurt myself allthough i have wished i'd die many times when i was down. Your mind playes ticks on you when your depressed. It stinks.

    ReplyDelete

I love comments!