You swore and said we are not
We are not shining stars
This I know, I never said we are
Though Ive never been through hell like that
Carry On – fun.
The group fun. brought high-level musicianship to the pop airwaves in the early 2010s, and Carry On certainly works with that. The song is written in 12/8 time and has such a depth of different musical genres woven in, going from a full orchestral mix to a hard rock-style guitar solo, and interspersing full choral arrangements throughout the song.
The song was not the groups top-charting song, reaching No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it did carry a very important message.
While most hear the ringing chorus and take it as an encouraging piece to push through tough times, the fact that the song begins with the singer addressing his own thoughts of suicide typically flies over the head of the listener about the time the chorus chimes in as the lyrics turn to leaning on friends for support.
This is the final Saturday of September, and certainly, there is no better time to discuss the sensitive topic of suicide than on the final weekend of Suicide Prevention Month.
That said, suicide can be a tough topic for many, and this is the warning that the rest of this column will be discussing suicide. If that doesnt work for you, for your own mental wellness, take a week off from this space and enjoy one of the other columns in the commentary section today.
On a worldwide scale, nearly three-quarters of a million people are lost annually due to suicide. In the United States in 2023, there were 1.5 million suicide attempts (estimated) and nearly 50,000 confirmed deaths due to suicide.
The rates of suicide in the US have stayed steady for years, between 14 and 14.5 suicide deaths per 100,000 persons. The most frequent lost to suicide is also consistent, typically men by 3.5 to 4 times the rate of women and white males making up between 65 and 75 percent of all suicide deaths in the country.
Suicide rates by age group would likely surprise many who only get their information from social media. By far the highest rates of suicide in 2023 were among adults aged 75+. By far the lowest rates belong to those under 25. Part of the reason that there is a misperception about the rates of suicide in younger people is that aging adds many more normal death causes for those who are 75+. Suicide has consistently been a top-three cause of death among individuals between 10-34.
Also consistent is the top cause of death, with firearms the most common method of suicide, with at least half of all suicide deaths attributed to firearms as far back as reliable statistics have been kept.
With all of these statistics staying fairly consistent year over year, why the focus and emphasis spent on prevention?
An old proverb that Ive shared with my children many times involves a young boy walking along the beach, picking up starfish and throwing them into the ocean.
After watching the boy do this many times over, an old man approaches him and says, There are hundreds of starfish on this beach. You cant possibly save them all. How can you make a difference?
The boy considered the question, reached down, then picked up another starfish and threw it into the water.
Made a difference for that one…
This past spring, 2025 Huron High School senior Cadence Kogel helped to design a number of shirts with PB Sports with messages such as your story is not over yet and you matter.
The shirts also prominently featured a semicolon in their design. The semicolon has become a symbol in suicide prevention and awareness. The semicolon in sentence structure is not the end, but instead is the start of a new beginning within the same sentence. In suicide awareness, it symbolizes exactly that – a new beginning after a momentary pause, such as an attempt or pondering suicide.
Many in the Huron community and surrounding area have been impacted by suicide and/or considered ending things themselves. There is help in the community in counseling and support groups. If those options are not viable, please call 988 and a connection can be made to help, whether thats a counselor in another community or online or on the phone.
Whatever it takes, be that semicolon for someone struggling, even if its you.
Your story matters; your story is not over.
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