2012 has seen 9 people jump from the George Washington Bridge, almost twice as many than in all of 2011.
Here are The Journal’s Top Ten Reasons why people should not jump off the George Washington Bridge.
#10 – The George Washington Bridge is a testament to the human capacity to dream and make those dreams a reality. It’s a beautiful structure with symmetry, stability, and stands as a symbol of what people can accomplish when they work together. Jumping off the GWB gives the bridge a bad reputation.
#9 – If you jump off the George Washington Bridge, thousands of people will curse you. Suicides from the GWB cause some real traffic jams, and a lot of people will be cursing you for being the cause. You probably have a lot bigger worries and concerns if you are thinking of suicide, but it’s still really bad karma to die with a bunch of people cursing you for doing it – Don’t do it – No one knows for sure what happens after you die – so that bad karma you stir up with a suicide could lead to an after life that’s even worse.
#8 – If you have any friends or family, jumping off the George Washington Bridge is a lousy thing to do. They will be feeling very guilty, and jumping from the GWB will make them feel a lot of guilt every time they pass over it. It’s even worse if you have younger siblings, their entire lives will be altered by the guilt they carry.
#7 – There’s so much good food to eat right near the George Washington Bridge – get something to eat instead of killing yourself. Eating is the most holy act we all engage in and never think about, and it can be such a great sensual experience. Take sometime and just relish, savor a simple pleasure through the simple act of eating something – and then be thankful for it. Fort Lee has some great restaurants, but you might be better walking over to Washington Heights where you can find some cute funky places all serving different foods. If your pockets are empty, just make a cheese sandwich — the pleasure is really all in your head. Clear your head with a bite to eat.
#6 – Your ancestors will not be pleased if you jump from the George Washington Bridge. You are the product of thousands of years, you are the cusp of the wave riding generations that came before you. The blood, sweat and spirits of all those who came before you pulsate through your body now. Even if all your blood relatives are gone, or even if you never knew them, they exist in you; if you jump from the GWB, they will be very pissed off — again, bad karma.
#5– Jumping off the George Washington Bridge is a useless cry for help. It’s not like other forms of suicide that have a margin of error, jumping off the GWB will kill you – which is a shame. The lure of the GWB is that it is so strong, so sturdy, so stable, and people go to jump off it when they are feeling weak, worn, exhausted from life. Suicide is usually the result of emotional or intellectual pain that supersedes our ability to cope with it, we lack the resources. Instead of jumping off the GWB, walk across it and feel its strength inside you, feel the freedom of being suspended in air, feel the air around you, feel the universe – be the universe.
#4 – There’s no margin of error when you jump off the GWB, but there’s a lot of time to think about it as you crash towards those cold, dark waters. Technically, it takes only about 6.5 seconds to fall from the bridge into the water, but that is longer than you think. The human brain can process and react to a lot in 6.5 seconds – the human brain holds capabilities we cannot even fathom – so that can actually be a very long time. 6.5 seconds of terror, of regret, of intensely negative emotions is not a good way to end your life. ( More bad karma)
#3 – George Washington himself would not approve of you jumping off the GWB. Not because it gives a bad reputation to the bridge named after him, but because it insults that fighting spirit he embodied. There’s was no guarantee that the Americans would win the Revolutionary War – the odds were against them. Washington was a man who put his life on the line for something he believed in, there’s nothing noble about throwing away a life. Find something to believe in, even if no one else believes in it – you believe in it. Find it, create it, nurture it, believe it.
#2 – Committing suicide by jumping from a bridge is popular in literature, music, and movies – it’s been romanticized. If you are in that much pain that you plan on jumping off the George Washington Bridge, you probably are a romantic. You probably see the world the way it should be rather than they way it often is — that’s a beautiful thing. Instead of jumping off the bridge, follow your romantic spirit – find a cause to fight for, a person to love, write a poem and throw that over the bridge—breath really, really deeply.
#1– If you can walk across the George Washington Bridge, then you are stronger than you think. You can move, you can breathe, you can dream, and believe that tomorrow might be better; that’s all any of us has – the freedom to believe.
The editor gave you ten from the heart reasons why you should not take that final leap. I tried to think of #11 but he covered all bases. So if you are still intent on doing this would you at least consider one last act of kindness on your part. Become an “Organ Donor”. Some parts may still be salvageable Thank you.
Actually, I did think of #11. There is always the possibility of landing on some passing boat and causing bodily injury to an innocent victim. So you really need to consider your fellow man before you take that leap.