Alexandra Blockton
ablockton@lc.edu

Even though this was a short story it really caught my attention because there’s lots of individuals suffering from anxiety nowadays. Some people tend to have their anxiety under control whereas some do not, and it makes it very hard on them mentally. Leon Tasard was so emotionally and mentally disturbed from his anxiety which eventually drained him completely.

It makes me think back on the past and how it feels to be hurt mentally, feeling as if my mind has no place to run and hide. The pain was rue, and hurtful inside. As well as, feeling as if having no one to talk to. It was like everyone around me was obstreperous to me.

One of the main things the author Elizabeth Morton caught my attention with was that Leon was never on any medication or ever hospitalized for his anxiety or mental issues. I would have really liked to know that information because it seemed very valuable. Tasards, anxiety was so bad it was sinking into his meditations through force of will. He just did not know what exactly to do as his state of mind was literally gone.

I would never in a million years ever contemplate committing suicide myself. I think people need to start taking anxiety (mental illness) more seriously. Eventually, he became so stressed and obdurate that he picked up a revolver and pointed it at his head. It was as if he was taking his last breath of fresh air because at this point he was literally giving up everything and everyone. 

To sum things up, with a revolver to his head and one finger on the trigger he was delusional. Leon felt as if everything would remain the same in life. He did not want to be in this world anymore, dealing with the mental state of mind he was consequently in; Tasard, while crying, weeping, and feeling depressed pulled the trigger. The bullet went straight through his temple. And in conclusion, I found the fact that Leon killing himself was deeply troubling, for the fact that suicide is such a bizarre concept to me.

Finally, my pain I have endured in my past has made me personally feel that at times in my life that I was just over it. But, I’ve never once thought of committing suicide as Leon Tasard did. It’s such a scary thought to be suicidal, or to be the individual who discovered the body of someone who has committed suicide.