I Have to Hold Out a Few More Years

Perhaps it's the economy...or the political upheaval...or the fear that seems to be building in this country now that it is not necessarily the political and economic juggernaut that it was following World War II. Maybe the tragedy of 9/11 has begun to eat away at us as more and more of us die as a result of violence at others' hands. Whatever the reason, we have become a fragile people, particularly those of us between the ages of 35 and 64.
According to the Center for Disease Control, Americans over the last 10 years have become increasingly hopeless and have resorted to suicide at an alarming rate. In the decade 1999-2010, the suicide rate in this country has risen 28%, and the alarming part of that is that 57% of that number are between the ages of 35 and 64: an age range that one might think would include clear-thinking family heads and adults who've more or less figured life out. Maybe they have and have decided that it holds no promise.
No potential reasons were put forward by the CDC report, but it did mention the fact that suicide prevention programs in this country focused mainly on young people and the elderly...leaving that middle age on its own. Whatever the reason, Native americans and white people are the two groups that have increased the most while the sharpest increase of all has occurred in the 50-64-yr.-old group. Scary for many of us!
As far as method is concerned, firearms are still the most often employed (probably because they offer the most certain result), followed by hanging and drug overdose (slipping to third this time).
All in all, fairly sobering facts about us. It would be interesting to compare our rates with those of other countries, both industrialized and not.
Having it all apparently results in having nothing for many people.
"Will you still need me? Will you still feed me when I'm 64?"
Let's hope we all make it to that place.