I'M not much of a book reader but I learned about the epic Iliad and Odyssey by Homer from the narratives of my college Literature teacher and from the movie Ulysses that starred Kirk Douglas.

There are scenes or plots of the epic like the Trojan horse, the abduction of Helen of Troy and the ten year journey of Ulysses that I haven't forgotten even if I had my literature class and watched the movie four decades ago. Just like the old dog that recognizes Ulysses upon his return home after a long journey, I believe that one cannot easily forget a good narrative and performances by good actors, musicians and even basketball players.

The year is not yet over and the charts are already spinning past world records especially on the number of deaths. For one, there is the coronavirus that caused a global pandemic but what strikes me even more is the number of famous people who also migrated to the great beyond.

This year, we pay tribute to notable celebrities like Kirk Douglas who also portrayed my favorite painter Vincent Van Gogh in the 1950s movie "Lust for Life," Sean Connery of the James Bond spy movies, Kenny Rogers whose country songs were heard all over and others like Max Von Sydow, Eddie Van Halen, Robert Conrad, Michael Londsdale, Little Richard, John Saxon, Olivia d Havilland, Honor Blackman, Kobe Bryant and Chadwick Boseman who reminded us that health matters a lot.

Upon reading recent journals about these famous celebrities and notable characters, I encountered names whose death were due to suicide that made me scan my favorite search engine google for some data on why suicide happens.

According to the World Population Review, suicide occurs throughout the world, affecting individuals of all nations, cultures, religions, genders, and classes. Statistics show that countries with the highest suicide rates in the world are incredibly diverse. For 2020 except November and December, record shows 10 countries with the highest rates of suicide and these are Lithuania, Russia, Guyana, South Korea, Belarus, Suriname, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Lesotho and Latvia.

The World Health Organization reports that the suicide rate in South Korea is the 10th highest in the world. One factor in its high suicide rate is suicides among the elderly. Traditionally, children have been expected to care for their aging parents; however, because this system has mostly disappeared in the twenty-first century, many older adults commit suicide, so they do not feel like they are a financial burden on their families.

In Japan, the report states that suicide borders on a crisis level, though the government has been active in intervention to decrease the risk of suicide among vulnerable populations. It is the leading cause of death in men among the ages of 20 to 44 and women among the ages of 15 to 34.

Accordingly, Japanese men are twice as likely to commit suicide as their female counterparts, particularly after a divorce. Of particular concern is suicide among men who have recently lost their jobs and are no longer able to provide for their families. People are expected to stay married with a single person and stay on a single job for their entire life, and the pressure of this expectation can make a divorce or job loss feel like a failure.

With some of the rock 'n roll, blues and heavy metal greats of the '70s and '80s gone, I guess we need to go back to the feet stomping, hip swinging and body swaying moves of the disco fever and move back and forth to the tune of the Bee Gees' song Stayin Alive to loosen those fats that we accumulated from lockdowns, quarantines and travel restrictions. As for me, I'll constantly remind myself of occupational hazards and safety as I make use of these long weekends and forced leaves doing home improvement projects. Let's all stay safe.