This April marks the one year anniversary of the passing of a local 12-year-old boy who died playing “The Choking Game.” In the days following the incident, I was asked to help parents, families, and t(w)eens talk about the memory of this child and the dangerous game that led to his accidental death. I was impressed by students that repeated these lessons to their friends and classmates in the following days, and I knew that these parents had done their jobs. As the months passed, the students moved on with their lives and talk of “The Choking Game” and its dangers quieted.
As this community takes time to remember this young man, it is also time to revisit the lessons that were discussed in the days following the tragedy. Too often important messages happen without taking the time to revisit and reflect on them.
