Oh, sorry, now reading through my posts, I haven't made exactly clear my intentions. Right.
Summer Solstice 2014 I'm driving the Pacific Coast Highway in California between sunset the 21st of June from the Santa Monica Pier and sunrise at the Golden Gate Bridge on the 22nd of June. I'm calling it 'Finding A Way Through the Dark' (working title anyway) because the PCH is one of the best roads to drive for views and general road loveliness. I will be driving in the dark, thus negating most of that beauty, and simulating/demonstrating what it is like to have a mental illness. I'm doing it because the mission of the Brandon Marshall Foundation aligns with what I feel is the root of a lot of our 'social' problems these days; bullying, sexual abuse, domestic abuse and suicides often stem from mental illness in some way or other, but here is the language from the Foundation's site:
The Brandon Marshall Foundation is devoted to raising awareness for mental illness and help others gain access to the resources that they need to recover. Our mission is to partner with leading mental health charities and service providers to:
- SPREAD THE WORD about mental illness which effects 1 in 4 individuals
- FIGHT STIGMA that for so long has been unfairly tied to mental illness
- EDUCATE people so they know the facts about mental illnesses, which are very treatable
- ADVOCATE for public policy solutions to support our cause
- PROVIDE RELIEF to those individuals who are suffering through connecting them with organizations and institutions where they can receive the care they need
- BRIDGE THE GAP between patients, clinicians, and the public, and
- CHANGE the face and the future of mental health so that those who have suffered in silence, who spent years of their lives feeling trapped by their own emotions, and who once thought that they had reached a place beyond hope will have the opportunity to build a better life for themselves
