Beyond the coo coo’s nest!
We wondered how our post “One flew over the coo coo’s nest” in which we admitted to being in a mental institution might be taken by our fellow posters. Those who replied were very supportive to a person. However, we got one reply by phone that interested us.
Clo, my old friend and fellow poster here at Atomic Bob’s where these pieces originate, called me yesterday afternoon to see how I was doing. It is something that she has done for nearly ten years now. In the aftermath of my hospitalization, I returned to the same isolated environment from which I had left just thirty five days before. We did not get that “vibrant life” filled with so many connections immediately. That took time. We went immediately back to our prior connections on Raging Bull and we found that Clo had been worried about us for the entire time that we had been absent from the site. Clo and I had never been particularly close but she did have an e-mail address so I took a chance and sent her my e-mail address and, in addition, my phone number. She called almost immediately and this began an almost daily conversation that ended up going on for almost two years until I became involved with a woman that I would briefly become married to.
Clo and I had never met before but she was concerned about me enough that she would give of herself on a daily basis to be sure that I was alright and had some human connection each and every day. I came to look forward to her daily calls and they became an important part of my daily routine. I eventually moved into a much more friendly environment than the isolated place that I had known and my interactions with other people began to multiply. I also began to reestablish contacts with many old friends that I had not seen in quite a while. They were all very pleased to see me again. I expanded my relationship with my church and began to have relationships with the local ministerial alliance through their local soup kitchen where I found a nice place to eat and volunteer and to socialize.
The poorest among us became some of my very best friends. They did not care who I was, they only cared about me. There is a democracy among those who are less fortunate that has no compare on this earth.
When I came out of the hospital, I sought the help of trained professionals who helped to keep me on the right track. One of them has become, over the last ten years, one of my best and dearest friends. I was medicated when I left the institution, however, I eventually found a trained professional who realized that I was in no need of the medication and took me off of all of it.
I had been writing for three years on Raging Bull, but I would not resume my writing career for over four years as I still felt the guilt at what I had not been able to do to help to stop the war. When I began writing again, I quickly reestablished ties with Clo, and those ties have lasted over the telephone to this very day. We talk about twice a week and we treasure each ones varying perspectives on the issues of the day. One day I hope to get to New York and finally meet her in person and get one of those fine meals that she is so famous far preparing. That will truly be food for further thought!
When I think today of Clo and so many other souls who have helped me out through the last decade, I think of so much unselfishness that so many of them have displayed. And I think especially of the milk of human kindness and true unabated Christian love that has been displayed. It buoys me up as I see situations in this nation and around the world that grieve me so. But there are also many good and wonderful things going on each and every day and there are those like the group here at FFFT who fight each day to get information out that the world so desperately needs to see and to hear. It some times appears that there are multiple truths out there but only one set of them can win out in the end. Clo and I and the rest will be struggling each and every day to see that our side at least has a fighting chance!
Thanks again to those who have supported us and continue to read us and may God’s very richest blessing be upon you each and every one!
IOVHO,
Regards,
Joe
To say that "God exists" is the greatest understatement ever made across space and time.
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