Honest Talk About a Serious Issue - Suicide - Muskegon Offers So Much Hope

It's an awful subject.  It's an awful truth to have to admit that I was within seconds of making a decision that would have forever taken away what this life has become since.  I sat there, alone in a room thinking that life was pointless...that all I was, was an alcoholic with no chance of bettering my life and no chance of becoming less of a burden on my family and friends.  I had a split second of clarity that saved me....some don't.


We're not here to glorify anything.  This is a story about the people, the resources and the outreach available to anyone....or any age in Muskegon that has in the back of their mind that there is no other way.  Well there is....and the help is here.

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It's a complex issue.  There are so many factors that come in to play.  Life situations, mental health, substance abuse, peer pressure, life history....I wish I was an expert at all of it to help discuss it and I wish too that it wasn't a subject that seems to plague our area as it does!




I'm going to be talking about my story in detail October 13th at the Frauenthal Center for Performing Arts in a program called "The Truth - Honesty About Life" along with a couple more speakers that had similar pasts....different circumstances....but none the less the discussion will happen and as the word spreads, so do the opportunities to meet people who can help in the most urgent situations and help you recognize the warning signs if you or someone you love are struggling with the thoughts of suicide.

Learn More About "The Truth"

Michael Pyne of HealthWest and Chairperson of the Suicide Prevention Coalition  is just one of those people.  I was invited down to talk about the upcoming presentation and found a wealth of knowledge and resources available as well as ways to recognize a potential problem in yourself or someone you love.  Take a listen to our conversation and please....take away the knowledge that there's help out there if you need it.

If you need help it's there!  Call 1-800-273-8255 immediately or Text 741741 for an immediate response if you are thinking about harming yourself. Reach out..ask for help and whatever you do....know that to someone in this world, you are everything!  You are important and your purpose has yet to be seen.  But it's real and you are a precious person.  If you'd like to know more.. HealthWest is here and they can help!  Please click on their logo below to access their services and if it's an urgent matter, call that number you saw seconds ago.  Thanks to Michael Pyne for his honest discussion today about the toughest subject imaginable.

Join the Walk September 8th

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The Unity Christian Music Festival!! This Weekend at Heritage Landing!

There is little or no doubt to the fact that the Unity Christian Music Festival is a staple in Muskegon,  West Michigan and let's be honest...the entire Midwest!

Since 2001 people of all kinds have enjoyed a family friendly festival atmosphere with some of the top names in the world when it comes to the Christian music scene...some of which have even crossed over into the mainstream with hit after hit over a couple decades.

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2016 is here and the line up is awesome!  The festival has grown to become one of Muskegon's biggest attractions for the faithful and the music fan!  You'll find acts like The Newsboys, Switchfoot, For King and Country, Red, Vertical Church and more!  You'll find great food at the Meijer Family Food Tent.  You'll find Fatty Lumpkins, Carlsons Almonds, elephant ears, kettle corn, Dominoes Pizza...you get the idea right?  It's all your festival favorites!

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There are plenty of activities besides the music too!  The kids will enjoy the Hometown Pharmacy Family Fun Zone.  You can run in the Hey 5K!  There's a blood drive, Art and Soul displays....I am here to tell you...August 10th-13th brings so much to Muskegon it's almost impossible to list it all. So, you get Chris Van Oosterhout involved to talk a little more about the goings on.  Take a listen to out chat below!

Unity Christian Music Festival is for ANYONE!  The music is diverse, the message is positive and the impact on Muskegon is almost beyond measure.  If you are among the faithful....or not....come on down and see the power of music...community and you might even walk away feeling a little better about life.  If you are coming into Muskegon to enjoy the festival....we welcome you!  Thanks for coming out to see that Muskegon is a great place filled with good people and we hope you'll come back again and again!  For more on the Unity Christian Music Festival, click on their link below!

Click Here to Visit Unity Online

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Marty Wills - Walking for Warriors - Welcome Home!

With the advent of social media, came the chance for just about anyone to be heard about causes that are important to them as well as create new ways for charity and non profits to drum up some awareness by things like "The Ice Water Challenge" or more recently the "22 Push Up Challenge" to bring some awareness to those who are suffering a post traumatic stress disorder diagnosis (PTSD).  Mostly veterans are effected by this, but it's not exclusive to those who saw combat.

Marty Wills

On average, and this is a hard thing to process.  On average, 22 soldiers kill themselves a day due to PTSD.  22 husbands....22 fathers....22 American hero's that were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the United States.  That's an awful lot of people to lose simply because the awareness wasn't there to help them find the way out of the war still playing out in their head.  That's 8030 people a year folks!

You may have seen the "22 Push Up Challenge" online.  It was the brainchild of #22 Kill and organization dedicated to veteran empowerment to seek and find the help they need.  Sure funds have been raised by t-shirt sales....Go Fund Me's etc...but Marty Wills took it all a step further.  Well actually, quite a few steps further.

Marty took off from his home in Fruitport on Memorial Day on his way to Camp Lejeune....on foot...to do his part for the program.  That's 1060 miles to walk to raise a few bucks and more importantly awareness foe those who suffer silently until they can't take it anymore.  Marty is on his way home soon and there's a hero's welcome planned for him at the VFW on S. Getty Saturday August 13th at 4 pm.  They are hoping for a potluck style event, so you are invited to bring a dish to pass and bring your sense of community pride for someone who really showed what the Muskegon area is about when it comes to going above an beyond when the cause warrants it.

Delaina Peters caught up with me to talk about the event welcoming home Marty this Saturday, take a listen to our interview below.

It's no easy task to accomplish a walk of 1000+ miles.  In fact, once completed he was taken directly to the hospital to have his feet checked out and taken care of properly.  Quite a sacrifice.  There is still a little way to go on his goal on $10k raised to help 22 Kill. Here's a link to the Go Fund Me page set up by Marty for the walk, it's his picture, or if you'd like...you can contribute Saturday at the welcome home party to a man richly deserving our pride.  If you'd like to find out if something specific for the party is needed, you can call Anne Herrick at 231-626-5640.  Thank you Marty.....you bring out the best in all of us.

Contribute to Marty's Walk


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The Northside Family Fun Fest In North Muskegon August 11th-13th

Community!  It's really what any locality should be.  Friends and neighbors getting together to stroll around, enjoy some fun and friends and try something new.  We've got lots of opportunities to do that in Muskegon.  We're lucky too to be able to have a short drive to just about anywhere to catch up with friends who live in different neighborhoods, try some of the "local" eats and you know...at the end of the day...feel right at home in any neighborhood.

Click Here for the City of North Muskegon's Page

Taste of the Northside is coming up in North Muskegon, part of the Family Funfest,  August 11th-13th.  It all gets underway at 6pm on Friday the 11th and will be a weekend filled with activities for kids and adults, a beer and wine tent, parade, some great live music by the Jamii Szmadinski Band, Betty Page and more!  There will be fireworks at the Bear Lake Beach and of course....plenty to eat from some of North Muskegon's best eateries!

Let's not forget about the Northside Lions Pancake Breakfast, the Friends of the Library book sale, the art fair and the kick off parade Thursday night right down Ruddiman!  Wow!!  It's going to be a busy weekend in North Muskegon.  I was lucky enough to catch up with Lee Ann Clausen from the City of North Muskegon to get some more details.  Have a listen to our chat below.

Summer's getting closer and closer to Fall but it's good to know that around Muskegon....the fun keeps going.  We're very fortunate to have an area filled with so many people who are willing to give of their time, treasure and talent to make sure we are entertained, informed, fed...and most of all....together!  Make plans to head up and enjoy what North Muskegon has to offer!  Here's a link to the Facebook event page!

Family Funfest Facebook Page

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Alzheimer's Disease - An Informational Seminar Coming to Tanglewood Park in Muskegon August 11th

As my parents get older, the both seem to be in very good health for the most part but like any of our aging population...there is and always will be the thought that maybe Alzheimer's Disease will creep in and wipe out everything they remember from this life.  It's a scary proposition for anyone but the thought of watching someone slowly forget everything is about the worst thing imaginable.

It happens though....there's no cure for it and 5 million times a year in the US...some family hears that they have to learn to deal with it.  Well August 11th at Tanglewood Park on Seminole Road you'll have the opportunity to learn more about this dreadful disease from Dr. Bruno Giordani PH.D, who is the MADC Associate Director & Professor of Psychiatry Neurology and Psychology for the University of Michigan.  The program begins at 5pm with registration and refreshments followed by the talk from 6-8pm.  The seminar is free, but a $10 donation is appreciated.

If you're not familiar with Tanglewood Park....it's a resource for senior citizens here in Muskegon.  It's home to a number of services for our aging population.  You'll find Meals On Wheels, Life Circles, 211, and Senior Resources to name a few and you'll also find plenty of activity going on most any time.  It's in the old D&W store on Seminole Road and it's really an amazing re-purposing of the building that sat empty for a year or two after the store closed....then exploded back into life for our senior citizens!

I was invited to visit Tanglewood by Elizabeth Donnely - Johnson to learn more about the upcoming talk with Dr. Giordani, sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association.  Take a listen to our chat below.

Scary and serious stuff, I know.  The important thing is....that you collect the information you need and be ready.  Like many other medical problems...there are no real answers....and like many medical problems....can strike anyone.  There is no discrimination when it comes to this horrible disease.  If you'd like to know more, click on the Tanglewood Park logo below and my thanks to Elizabeth for taking the time to come on Positively Muskegon to share the upcoming event.

To reach the 24/7 help line call 1-800-272-3900

Click Here to Visit Tanglewood Park Online



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The Hillbilly River Poker Run - Benefits Cystic Fibrosis in Muskegon

Delaina Peters gives me a holler and says - "Hey, how bout covering our poker run on Positively Muskegon?"  So I said sure figuring it was another motorcycle run but this time to benefit Cystic Fibrosis, so let's find out the route and get a few of our two wheeled friends out there to help a great cause!

Then we sit down for the interview and she tells me it's a tubing trip poker run down the Muskegon River and my mind.....instantly blown!

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Imagine a family friendly event put on to help aid in the fight the horrible disease of Cystic Fibrosis.  It's been around for a few years and continues to grow into a great event for people of all ages!  Yes, it might not get the fanfare that bigger events do, but...Delaina has a way of making some of the best kept secrets event wise around Muskegon really great times and raise a lot of money for causes!

You'll find camping, music, "hillbilly games" (you really need to listen to the interview to hear about those!) great food, friends and plenty of fun if you are there to camp or just go for the 2 hour float down the river to enjoy the beautiful scenery and relaxation you'll only find in our pristine river!

Delaina came to see me at the Muskegon Farmers Market along with Ken Ferrier to talk about the goings on....take a listen, and remember to pay attention to the details on the hillbilly games!

It's a great way to raise a little money and enjoy the splendor that is Muskegon down a fun river and among family and friends!  Take a break and take a float to benefit Cystic Fibrosis on the Hillbilly River Poker Run August 12th-13th!  Floating for a Cure!  What a way to spend a day

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Pathways to a Healthy Pregnancy From The Health Project by Mercy Health in Muskegon

It begins with you!  Well, actually it takes 2 people in most cases, but we'll leave those details to another blogger out there.  But...once pregnant...you are in charge of making sure that the new bundle of joy inside you is healthy and making sure that you are healthy to handle the fact that life will be forever changed now that you're a parent!


While there has never been an instruction manual that's 100% correct on raising kids, there are ways out there to get your learn on when it comes to a healthy pregnancy.

A Happy Healthy Baby (my great nephew too)

Pathways to a Healthy Pregnancy is a community outreach from Mercy Health in Muskegon and the goal is to connect "at risk" women to medical care, social services, and education to help reduce the number of low birth weight babies in Muskegon County.  "At Risk?"  Yes, factors like young age, financial instability, unplanned pregnancy....homeless....raising a baby alone, the term "at risk" is a scary one but  Pathways to a Healthy Pregnancy can help.

An expecting mother is placed with a Community Health worker who walks them thru every step.  Need to know more about prenatal nutrition?  Need to know where to find help with housing?  Access to programs that can help with Dr. visits?  It's all between you and your Community Health worker, who may very well have been in the exact same place you were at on point in time.  Someone who understands what pregnancy involves....someone who's succeeded in the endeavor and maybe even just someone with a compassionate ear that can just listen to you.  You can even text PGConnect to 24587 and get monthly texts about resources available to you or just have someone to talk to.

I was invited by Rachel McCoy to meet with Tressa Crosby who's the lead Community Health worker in the Pathways program to learn a little more.  Take a listen to our interview below..

Your baby is the key to the next great generation.  Take it from me...my extended family has been gifted by some unexpected pregnancies...and at first, they were really scary for everyone.  As time has passed though, the truth surfaces.  There is no "bad time" to have a baby.  It might not be in the most perfect circumstances....but in the long run...the miracle of a new face in the crowd offers limitless potential, unending hope and the pride of knowing that there will be someone to carry on in this world.  If you need a hand with the "scary part" click on the logo below.  It will take you directly to the Pathways to a Healthy Pregnancy page from Mercy Health.  Our thanks to The Health Project for being a great sponsor of Positively Muskegon.