sidewalk paint where a suicide counseling sign used to stand, Hawthorne Bridge
suicide remove definition one:
Portland is the city that works, the city with clean grids and perfect planning, the liveable city, the walkable city. So remove all signs to the contrary.
suicide remove definition two:
Suicide is sometimes a noun, as in: the man who hurls himself over the bridge railing, slits his wrists with a shaving razor, or swallows the bottle of sleeping pills. Example: There is no room for the suicide in this Pacific Northwest paradise. So remove him.
suicide remove definition three:
A campaign to stamp out suicide (but then, why remove the counseling sign?)
suicide remove definition four:
Time to put up a new sign. (Do suicide hotlines go out of business? Do they change their numbers?)
In any case, this is not what I want to see when I walk onto the bridge - my breath shallow, feet light, cheeks flushed and forehead chilled by cold sweat.
Comments (4)
The existence of this sidewalk painted message is very bizarre to me. I like your definitions and questions, as usual. However I have never thought of Portland as paradise! :) And, in my experience, it seems the Pacific NW could use as many suicide counseling centers as possible (though that itself, is an interesting concept to me).
Wow, this sidewalk paint pushes weird buttons for me. It leaves me feeling a little 'ick.'
Posted by W | March 16, 2004 12:50 PM
Posted on March 16, 2004 12:50
I don't think of it as a paradise, either. (Remember my essay, State Lines?) I was referring to the general consensus of the people who populate this region, which seems to be that Portland is some kind of utopia. Sigh.
And yes - this place could use as many suicide counseling centers as possible.
Posted by K | March 16, 2004 12:54 PM
Posted on March 16, 2004 12:54
Ahhh, I was confused. You, dear Wendy, are referring to the same regional consensus as I was ...
You know more than anyone how much this place can drive me crazy!!
Posted by karrie | March 16, 2004 1:33 PM
Posted on March 16, 2004 13:33
Hi Karrie,
You are amazing...always shedding light, or exposing us to a dark place we'd rather ignore. Thank you.
Posted by jgill | March 16, 2004 5:49 PM
Posted on March 16, 2004 17:49