January 7th, 2000
Los Angeles, California
“And that will be our class for today, thank you all for coming.”
David Strickland stood up, shook the hands of a few of his fellow recoverers, and walked out of the meeting room door and out into the hallway out to his car. It had now been 9 months since that detective convinced him to not take his life and to get the help he was given, and to be honest, he feeling alot better than he did back in 1998, it felt like he was both appreciating the life he had in his hands now more than ever before, along with the feeling that he was more loved by his family and friends as well. While the avoiding of the paparazzi as much as possible, the divorce that followed his stunt, and the following moments of depression that nagged him were hard. Before that, it was like he was blind to it all until he looked away from his pursuits for just a moment.
One thing that Strickland would never have thought when he decided not to jump from that ledge in Las Vegas, was simply how many people cared. Sure it was public, but he would of thought that people would have moved on by now. But apparently not, even in this New Millennium people still talked about that incident, many were now comparing it to other notable events in the 90s, like the Clinton Sex Scandal or Columbine, which Strickland personally thought was quite a stretch, but according to everybody else, apparently not.
What was even more moving for Strickland, Hell, it was even said Mary Bergman, that famous voice actress in numerous roles in television and films like South Park, had apparently been so fixated on the event that it forced her to come out to her husband about her suicidal and anxious thoughts, he might have passed it off, but he felt a great deal when he realized that he might just have saved that woman’s life. And then some more, as he might have just saved who knows what many more.
But that wasn’t all, however, a few days ago, he received a letter from a Dana Plato, he didn’t recognize her at first, but later realized that she was that girl from Different Strokes, who had also gotten into a controversy some time ago due to robbing a convenience store. She, not being as well known as other actresses, was having a very private rehabilitation, but regardless, wanted to inform him that she was personally thankful towards him for ‘helping her see the true craziness of Hollywood stardom’, and that she was mailing him because of that. As she personally put it “Seeing you dangling out of that window woke me the hell up.”
David could only really wonder what effect his actions could truly have on the World when people he had never met in person, spoke to, or even knew existed were making choices based on what he did. He had thought that he was just a small time actor that came in, did their best, fail, ends it, and fades away, but then again, you don’t just threaten public suicide in Vegas and don’t get noticed, do you?
Strickland climbed into his car and started to turn on the ignition, as he thought about another thing Plato had told him in her letter. One of the activities she did to distract herself from the struggles of life was to write, she didn’t write about anything in particular, but just to take notes about stuff on her mind, what ideas or creations that were in her imagination. Sometimes even write a short story or two. It was said to be relaxing for her. Strickland thought about it some more, and while he preferred to be a more 'visual' person due to his talent as an actor, decided that tonight, he would take a shot at trying it.
“It couldn’t hurt to try…”
Strickland then reached his small house, headed inside, and closed the door behind him. Glad to be away from the prying eyes of the big city.
