Death at the Library

This isn't a mystery or who done it but death does come to the library. I suppose we watch our customers come in day in and day out, and we all age every day a little more then the last. If death does come we wonder how it touched the person and how it missed us. We always put off thinking about it, till late at night or in the shower or shaving or drinking a cup of coffee. 'R' who was young, and tired sometimes when I saw him, ended his life abruptly and violently. It was a sonic wave that passed through the library, disturbing all, brushing up against everyone, and settled into eddies of conversation.

No one had any answer, but there were attempted explanations. I could make a list of explanations but it was 'R's secret that he kept.

I had a conversation one day early when I started working at the library with 'A'. 'A' is young and we were talking about our customers and some of them are out of touch so to speak. it boiled down to 'A's belief that they were out of touch with reality. I told 'A' that reality is a fluid concept, what is reality and how do we know if someone is in or out of touch with it.

Does committing suicide mean you are out of touch with reality or does it mean you have too much reality, an overwhelming reality?