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Hunter Miller pulled his big Mercedes up to the front door of his 3-story mansion on Mulholland Drive. He left the engine running as he reflected on his 60 years. He was born in Texas to a couple of modest means. His dad was a mechanic and mom was a homemaker. They managed to take a vacation to Los Angeles, where Hunter saw Mulholland Drive for the first time. Hunter remembered whispering to himself, “I’m gonna live here someday.”
With good grades, he managed a scholarship to Harvard Business School, which led him to a career in business. He was in the right place at the right time when a small chemical company that was near bankruptcy became available for sale. He managed to get the financing to buy the company, where he introduced what many called draconian austerity measures. He made some enemies, but he saved the company and made it prosper, expanding in the United States and into Europe.
His family life was successful, too. He married a California girl. They had children and grandchildren all wonderful people. Hunter was rightfully proud of them all.
In short, Hunter Miller had everything he could ever need or want. As he sat with his car running, he realized that that was the problem. He neither needed nor wanted anything else. He thought back on the times in his life that he was working the hardest, and realized that those were also the times he was happiest. Now, the fact gnawed at him that without him, it would all go on. He could just sit back and enjoy it all, but after working so hard for so long, work was Hunter Miller, Hunter Miller was work, and there was nothing to work for.
Then, he thought about the box in the trunk of his Mercedes. He left the engine running and opened the trunk. He looked at the contents of the wooden box there and removed only one item.
He held the retrieved item, got back behind the wheel or his car, and thought about the remaining items in the box. They would cause a lot of speculation. Hunter didn’t care. He put the barrel in his mouth, pulled the trigger, and left it all behind.
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Comments
Ohhhkaaay... : (
Guess I should pay closer attention to the tags. I read the non-tg and the 60+ but not the caution. I know they can't all be sweetness light but...
It discussed his marriage but not very far. I suppose being all consumed with work a marriage wouldn't last and could have contributed to the final solution. Hmmm. I appreciate the effort and the framework, just wished for a different ending.
>>> Kay
The Answer
I wrote this during a bout with depression. I realized that the cure for depression is not money, objects, or even people who love you. The cure for that feeling of hopelessness is something more difficult to achieve; a meaningful life.
Hunter Miller would appear to others to be living a meaningful life. Unfortunately, it lacked meaning to him.
Jamie
Did this help?
Did writing this help? I know that one temporary improvement of depression and anxiety is action. And writing a story is action. So I hope that this helped.
-- Daphne Xu (a page of contents)
Sigh
I wish that he'd thought just a bit more about his children and grandchildren -- and his wife, if they weren't divorced. And, as a hard worker, I wish that it had occurred to him to work hard to figure out something to do during retirement.
Let's turn stone-hearted for the moment. At least he didn't die through progressive failure of body and mind.
Okay, the moment's over. [Fighting tears.] Maybe subconsciously, he was hearing his late wife calling him to "come home early."
-- Daphne Xu (a page of contents)
His Wife
I realize now that I left out details about Hunter's wife. Had I told it, I would have said she's still alive and well, and married to Hunter. That is part of the scenario I was trying to create, "He had it all."
You're right about his failure to consider his family. Suicide is a selfish choice.
Jamie
Never The Answer
It's those who live on who have to suffer the loss and pick up the pieces.
I too should have taken more notice of the headline warnings.
Selfish
Suicide is a selfish choice. Everyone has someone who loves him or her. Suicide is like telling them, "I don't care if you love me or not. I'm outta here."
The loved ones are left wondering, among other things:
1 Why didn't I see the signs?
2 Is there something I could have said to stop this?
Their suffering is endless.
Jamie
I needed this comment
Thank you, Jamie, dear sister (I hope I chose the right word, based on your displayed picture), for this comment - I really needed it - coming from a girl frequently struggling with suicidal ideation. I am a trans woman (legally female and living full-time as such despite being hopelessly unpassable), and I do have a partner. I know that my partner needs me and that she would be absolutely devastated if I checked out - but I do need periodic reminders, just like this one by dear Jamie which I just came across. So thank you again, Jamie, for reminding other sisters that we are still needed around here.
WOW
Hope it helped to vent some of your depression, it's better to let it out then actually act on those thoughts. GLAD YOU ARE FEELING BETTER
CYBER HUGS
Price of success
Well that was a surprise. I should have read the warning closer also. I would say that was a case of insufficient dreams maybe? Or acting without enough thought. It seems it should have been preventable.
Time is the longest distance to your destination.
Surprisel
Actually, I' glad you were surprised. I think having to put "suicide" at the top was a spoiler.
"Insufficient dreams" is exactly the problem. I guess the guy ran out of dreams. Another way is "We need dragons to slay and damsels to rescue."
Jamie