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Will B. Reaching Out

From the time I was very young I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up— a photojournalist. Photojournalism is different from what I do now as a photographer, but similar in some ways.

I used to look at my dad’s National Geographic magazines when I was younger, and I would dream of being a world traveler. I imagined Going to exotic places, eating exotic foods and meeting unique people. I would tell the stories of what I saw through photographs. I try to do that now in some way.

Not many people get to do what they love for work. My hero for quite a while and the person I would most love to be like and to live their life was Anthony Bourdain. A world renown traveler, teller of tales, famous chef and a public figure as an actor on his own show about traveling around the world meeting interesting people, eating interesting foods and seeing exotic locations. I don’t tell this story to let you in on a bit of myself, although it does. The reason for this tale is to talk about depression. It faces millions of people each year from mild to the most severe. In the case of Anthony Bourdain, it was quite severe. He took his own life on June 18 2018. It literally just blew my mind. I remember thinking he is the person I want to be. I saw his life as perfect. This speaks volumes about depression.

I was diagnosed with acute depression a few years ago. Although I have been dealing with it most my life. I don’t take medication, though I should. I have hidden it like a dirty secret most my life. Most see me with a smile and lots of joking around a lot. What lurks beneath is different from what you mostly see outwardly from people with depression. I am not truly an extrovert although I have been becoming one with my new job. The reasons I decided to write about this is the seriousness of this issue is in our country. Visit the Mayo Clinic\s website for a list of symptoms.

If you see a teen or even an adult showing these signs, start a dialogue. Don’t be afraid to call the doctor or let a parent know. You may just save a life. The National Suicide Prevention Life line is: 1-800-273-8255 available 24 hours a day.

This is Will B. Reaching out saying its OK to care.