Chapter: Good Hearted
Donald “Don” Ritchie is an Australian who is said to have prevented at least 160 people from committing suicide over a 45 year period. He lives across the street from the most famous suicide spot in Australia: A cliff known as The Gap. Most people would move, but Ritchie has lived there for almost 50 years and has, in doing so, saved a lot of people. The house might be situated on the worst piece of real estate ever: Roughly one person per week commits suicide at The Gap. Despite its legendary reputation as a suicide spot dating back to the 1800’s, the ledge is marked only by a small, one-meter fence. In an interview with The Christian Science Monitor Ritchie says he doesn’t feel burdened by the fact that people are always contemplating jumping to their deaths outside his house. In fact, he and his wife Moya see it as a blessing: “I think: isn’t it wonderful that we live here and we can help people? I used to sell kitchen scales and bacon cutters, at The Gap, I’m trying to sell people life”.
Ritchie wakes up every morning and looks out the window for “anyone standing alone too close to the precipice”. If he sees someone who looks like they might be contemplating to jump, he walks over and strikes up conversation. Richie just gives them a warm smile, asks if they’d like to talk and invites them back to his house for tea. Sometimes, they join him. He says he does his best with each person and if he looses one, he accepts that there was nothing more he could have done. In 2006, Ritchie was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his rescues.
Possible Moral
At a time of grief or despair, small gestures that show you care can be of definitive value. What Don Ritchie does is to lend people an ear and the prospect of friendship. By inviting them in for tea, he invites them to talk and he offers to listen. There are a lot of people wandering around who are in need of someone to talk to. It’s important to be a good listener. I believe good things will come to those who are willing to listen.
Story from We All Need Heroes: Stories of the Brave and Foolish.
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We All Need Heroes
ContoHey there! Here you'll find a collection of mixed stories from my debut book 'We All Need Heroes', which celebrates people with brave and innovative ideas. The finished book is filled with a huge mix of inspirational and fun short-stories of people...
