Ryan Brown’s vibrating cell phone wakes him up with over fifty notifications, all of them asking if he is okay, and nearly all relaying that they saw a story on the news about someone with his name jumping from the Brooklyn Bridge late the previous night.

Ryan is quite shaken, though, and far from “okay.” He distinctly remembers jumping and has no idea how or why he is back in his apartment this morning.

_________________________________

You sometimes hear people say that it would be fun to attend your own funeral, just to see who shows up, how people react, etc. I guess this story is kind of an adjacent idea.

About 20 years ago, someone who shared my name and age died in a relatively well-publicized car accident just outside of my hometown. Quite a few people reached out both to me and also to my parents. All of that produced a strange mix of emotions, assuring people that I was fine and being touched that they reached out. You don’t always know how many people care about you.

A couple of months ago, I saw a story on the news about a woman who was planning to jump off a bridge, only to be talked back by Jon Bon Jovi. That real story seems almost as incredible as my fake one. I don’t know if there’s a celebrity I’d most want to see in my darkest moment, but it would be hard to top Bon Jovi under those circumstances.

If you ever have self-harming thoughts, please reach out and talk to someone.

Suicide Hotlines in The United States

Crisis Text Line	Text HOME to 741741
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline	1-800-273-8255
Trans Lifeline	1-877-565-8860 (for the transgender community)
TrevorLifeline	1-866-488-7386 (for LGBTQ youth)
Veterans Crisis Line	1-800-273-8255, Press 1