October 11, 2026
It’s my stick. It’s my craw. And today I want to talk about the biggest stick in my craw.
Idiots that forget mental health and that the mentally unhealthy need grace, compassion and care. By the way, I am totally guilty of being one of those Idiots too often. But yesterday was World Mental Health Day, so let’s talk.
Is anyone truly mentally healthy? Very few. Sure, some are healthier than others, but we all have shit in our minds that makes us at least a little mentally unhealthy. And for dudes, that’s especially true.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the suicide rate amongst men is four times higher than women. Four times is a lot of time. What’s The Kansas Gastronomist’s theory? I don’t know, but it sure doesn’t help that a lot of men don’t have friends, especially as we age. And for the few that do, many of them are not friendships where the dudes confide in one another. Trust me.
But it is not just the dudes. It’s all of us. And every year for the last twenty-years, mental health just gets worse. In 2024, 49,000 Americans ki**ed themselves because of hopelessness and nearly 15 million “seriously thought” about it.
So, here’s TKG’s challenge to you today. Call or send a text TODAY to your family and at least a few of your friends. You never know who desperately needs to hear from you. Just to hear that you give a shit. And who knows, maybe they’ll return the favor. Cause God knows we need it. We all do.
— TKG
