I lost something today... and I didn't know I had it to lose.
As some of you may or may not know, I have been basically unemployed since August 2008. It's been difficult - emotional, physically, and financially - but through the support of my friends and my family we have been able to pull through so far.
About two and a half months ago, I got a very short term position via Belcan from a gentleman I had been following on Twitter for a few months prior. John Kennedy was a pioneer in his field. He realized the power of the Twitter service to reach out to the unemployed and connect with them in such a way as to better match an individual with a job. Every other recruiter I have ever dealt with is more concerned with shoving as many faces in front of the client regardless of a legitimate match on both sides just so they can get their commission. Not John. He took the time to get to know you. He wanted it to work.
A few weeks after Christmas, John was let go by Belcan. I never got the story from him, but I got the distinct impression over our conversations that it was due to him speaking his mind honestly in a Jerry Mcguire-ish way that came back to haunt him.
John took the layoff hard. We spoke on the phone several times a week, each time we spoke I could tell John was hit hard by the layoff. He was positive he was going to lose his house, concerned as to how he would provide for his wife and his father, and in general just hit very hard by the suddenness of it all.
I always stayed upbeat with him, promising him that things will work out in the long run. I would ask him how things were going on his interviews, provide him with job leads that I ran across that I felt he would be a fit for, and even talked him up to other recruiters I was in conversation with at the time as a perfect addition to their teams.
In the past week, life got in the way of our talks. I hadn't reached out and it really wasn't his way to call me. I noticed him tweeting still and this morning, decided to call him. There was no answer so I assumed he was either out on a gig or an interview. At 2pm eastern, I saw this update: "RIP you will be missed"
I called his house again and spoke with his wife.
John had committed suicide this morning.
John wasn't one of my "close" friends, but he was someone whom I cared about. He was someone I leaned on in my own way and allowed to lean on me.
I can't stress enough how important it is to help people around you. Please. If you know someone who is letting the stress of this fucked up world get to them, make sure you are supporting them. Reach out, share... just... be there.
I wish I had been there more for my friend...
