Transforming Tragedy Into Inspiration

August 1, 1963, was just another day for several people. Sad, interesting, and galvanizing things happened. For Barbara Streisand, it had been a landmark week. She was performing her first gig in Las Vegas, opening for Liberace at the Riviera Hotel.

Poet Theodore Roethke had an attack in his friend's pool that day and died; The Beatles Book Monthly magazine debuted with 80,000 copies printed, and therefore the movie Lassie's Great Adventure went into wide release.

August 1, 1963, was also the day tragedy struck Jill Marie Patten and her parents in their Seattle hometown. thereon day a 22-year-old mailman stabbed 12-year-old Jill 14 times within the chest and abdomen during an attempted rape.

Fortunately, Jill lived and returned home after a quick hospital stay.

That's where the general public version of Jill's story ends. That's where the door closes, the overall public issues a collective sigh, and life goes on.

It's the same with most personal tragedies, be it the death of a beloved, a divorce, or a significant illness.  People show up during the first days of the event. they carry food. They bring tissues and shoulders to cry on. They listen and sometimes attempt to offer helpful suggestions.

Then time goes on, and that they return to the daily details of their lives, and therefore the one suffering the tragedy is left alone to cope and move forward. No matter what proportion his friends care they likely cannot feel his pain. they are doing not magically awake and call him at 2 a.m. when he is awake and angry, or afraid, approximately deep in grief that his belly seems like it's close to bursting.

For Jill and her family, the healing process likely had only begun. The nightmares, the anger, the emotions of helplessness, and maybe shame and guilt.

But at some point Jill's parents, both psychiatrists,  got inspired. They acknowledged that the person who hurt their daughter had been troubled and had tried to urge help before the attack.  Maybe if he had received that help he wouldn't have hurt their child.

Jill's parents decided to try to do what they might to stop an equivalent thing from happening to someone else's child. They gathered friends and acquaintances and began the Seattle Crisis Clinic (now referred to as the King County Crisis Clinic), one among the country's oldest telephone crisis lines.

The Clinic has run seven days every week, 24 hours each day since 1964. The volunteers and staff answer calls from suicidal and homicidal people and supply referrals to an array of community services.

Like most things the Seattle Crisis Clinic isn't perfect, and it hasn't stopped suicides or homicides, but it's provided an area for troubled people to be heard. it's harnessed the facility of the community. it's reached bent people that might not have another outlet for his or her sorrow, their anguish, or their rage.

The Crisis Clinic is an additional example of how tragedy can inspire people to make something beautiful. The creation doesn't need to be complex or big, and therefore the tragedy or crisis that inspired it doesn't need to be what's typically considered catastrophic.

Have you ever had a crisis that inspired you to make something beautiful? or even you haven't considered it. it isn't too late.

Read More: https://www.opinion-nytimes.com