Last psychiatric visit, my doctor was not pleased upon hearing about my recent fascination or well, addiction, to Facebook. I got a B minus on my wellness report card. BUT one perk of Facebook is that I am discovering so many other wonderful blogs on the topics of spirituality and health. One new friend, Brent Bill, shared with me a fantastic post he wrote on his blog, "Holy Ordinary," about our kind of folks: those that nod to themselves when they review the symptoms of various illnesses in the DSM IV (shrink Bible).
Brent helped me recover last week from some stinging blows by people who were not amused by my "12 (Bipolar) Days of Christmas," who did not find the humor in it. Not one little chuckle. Anyway, he sort of toasts all of us in his wonderful Christmas post that you can get to by clicking here. It begins ...
"Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la, la la la la. ..."Oh yeah? Well, not for everybody. I ws thinking about that while getting ready for Meeting for Worship yesterday. I was thinking about some of my best friends and how they and I might be considered by some an emotionally/mentally motley crew. I have friends who are bi-polar, depressive, in therapy, attending 12 step programs, etc. And I'm prone to depression and panic attacks -- thank Heaven (literally) for a good doctor and Paxil. We're a walking, talking illustration (it sometimes seems) of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
I used to think this was a bad thing -- as in I should be ashamed (especially of my own "abnormalities"). But another thing I realized as I looked over my friends (and me) is that we are, by and large, sensitive folks, caring people, and very creative. Many of us are writers, musicians, artists, and the like. And not second rate either -- well, present company excluded. Some have had books on the New York Times bestseller list. Others sell every piece of art they create. I mean, I'm blessed with a rather amazing bunch of people who are my friends.
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There are times in your life when you don't find *anything* funny. That doesn't mean that we should be begrudgers when others can find the humor in crummy situations. In the concentration camps people found humor -- you have to to keep your sanity. So, believing in "Sanity Clause" as Groucho once said, I vote for poking some good-natured fun at ourselves.
I suspect I would have never written my book if I hadn't been blessed/plagued with my own particular thorn. I doubt very seriously that I would have written the hundreds of encouragements that carry my particular (unique? unusual? weird?)brand of humor. Does everyone appreciate my take on things? Nah. Sometimes I go for extended periods wondering if the enter button on my keyboard is broken because I don't hear/read any feedback on my best material. Then, out of the blue or Beyond Blue, someone will say, "I was thinking about what you said..." and my words found a home and were a catalyst for thought or change. But it's not consistent and surely not constant. So, I'll take my thorn and try to pluck it out - which seems to create the risk of infection to unaffected areas - but I'll also try to remember the silver lining (or brass or copper or aluminum foil) and try to remember that somebody will receive the signal if I keep transmitting.
If dear readers can't take a joke, or get it, don't let it get you down. ..it happens. I try to remember that I have moments of being so literal that I miss out on the punch lines and am standing there asking, "And then what happened?"
St. Nick - cool dude with a wonderful giving spirit. He figured out the "It is better to give than to receive." message and acted upon it. That is a fine response indeed.
Franco,
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