‘Tsundoku’ is a Japanese word for
the habit of buying too many books,
letting them pile up in your house,
and never reading them. SourceSource 2Source 3
Sometimes the help you need isn’t the help you want. Call 1-800-273-8255 if you’re thinking of suicide.
This comic meant a whole lot to me. It was sincere in its depiction and treated the issue through the eyes of a grounded person. Not some godly hero saying everything is better than it seems, but a person trying his best before bringing her somewhere who can actually help.
So a few years ago I was walking through town with a friend of mine when we got stopped by a locally famous Christian radical. They know each other just from being the same age so they stopped and chatted whilst I stood by. The preacher looked at me said I was really pretty and handed me a flier. I glanced at the flier and it was just filled with homophobic hate speech. I folded it up and shoved it in my coat pocket not knowing what else to do at the time. I remember the side eye my friend gave me which just screamed ‘I’m sorry’. I didn’t say anything…we exchanged goodbyes and walked away.
The other day, I was spring cleaning and getting rid of clothes I don’t wear. I found that flier, still folded up in my pocket. I wonder how differently I would have dealt with things now. It’s been a short few years but I am not the same person. I have less tolerance for ignorance and hate. I would have stood up for myself.
