Friday, September 14, 2012

Smile to Save a Life


Hero #1: Don Ritchie (Angel of the Gap)

(Figure 1. Don Ritchie, nicknamed "The Angel of the Gap") 

             For 50 years, Don Ritchie has lived near the infamous suicide spot known as "The Gap." He constantly soothes and talks people out of suicide. This man is truly worthy of the title of an angel. Don Ritchie uses the technique of a gentle soothing voice to help people work out their problems. He states that some of the people he talks to don't really want to die, but they feel it is necessary to end their pain/sadness. He saves lives with a simple smile and friendly traits.


link: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-461191

6 comments:

  1. A creative blog idea but how does this tie into your future?

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  2. Hey Johnny! Your blog so far is quite inspiring and an interesting read. I was kind of sitting next to you when you wrote it though, so I can't exactly find a whole lot more to say haha. Keep doing an amazing job at finding amazing people doing amazing things amazingly!

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  3. So what your trying to say is that you want to help people through their sadness and pain and make them feel better?

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  4. As Rei questioned I am slightly confused on how this influences your future. I know that you are quite a creative person who might not want to wear a suit almost everyday for a living, so I believe that you do not have to take inspiration from others, but yourself. you are quite amazingly amazing as DLR said so follow your own path!

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  5. Reading about these people was really inspiring but honestly, it makes me feel like I've done nothing to help other people significantly in my life, unlike your heroes. I would love to hear how this ties into what you want to do when you're older or how this shapes who you want to be when entering the real world on your own!

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  6. Ignore the naysayers, here. This is a fascinating topic, so please, keep exploring it. It may well lead you to stumble across a career path.

    To wit: Many motivational speakers make a great living inspiring others, but they often start off as authors or consultants. If you have an idea - whether it's a business model, a strategy for life, or a way for people to develop their online image through social networks - write it out, develop it, then try to get into conferences and conventions where you can share it with lots of different audiences.

    To be honest, I see myself going down this career path - taking the ideas from my masters research and trying to book different conferences and workshops where I can share it and possibly get hired to train teachers in other districts.

    If this sounds like how you'd like to build your career, Jonathan, it's totally feasible and reasonable. I'm happy to talk more about it privately, if you wish.

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