…it’s because it’s another winter when my mother declines just that much more. She’s back in the hospital, and they’re talking about electroconvulsive therapy this time. Severe mental illness is a merry go round you can never quite step off of. Please don’t worry about me. It’s sad and chaotic, yes, but not unexpected, and …
Category Archive: family
Dec 05 2012
Tell Me Again About Our Post-Racial Society
Actually, tell it to Ashley Miller’s dad, who disowned her for dating outside her race. He apparently didn’t get the memo about racism being a thing of the past. A scene with two lovers holding hands in which there is some contrast in skin tone is, to him, so intolerable that he must cut his …
Jan 18 2012
In Memoriam My Maternal Grandfather, I Shall Now Inflict The Statler Brothers On You
I got that message today that you know, in the back of your mind, is liable to come at any time. The tall, thin man with the funny hair and the thick-rimmed glasses was nearly ninety, if not past it, and he’d been ailing recently. So I wasn’t surprised to find a succession of messages …
Dec 19 2011
In Which I Admit I Am Not Noble and Can’t Do This Alone
It’s been a day. I spoke to my mother, who had sounded better the last time we spoke. She sounded much worse today, and informed me my grandfather’s in the hospital, although she can’t say for what. A rehabilitation center of some sort. She thinks he’s going to die soon. And then she wants to …
Nov 28 2011
You’re Under No Obligation to Read This
I didn’t even mean to post it. It’s just a person pouring out pain on the internet. But if you want a look at what it means to deal with mental illness, then you can read on. If not, amuse yourself with my cat, partake of the other excellent offerings on the toobz, and wait …
Nov 27 2011
Mental Illness Strikes Home. Again.
Funny we should be having this conversation about skepticism and mental illness now. I called my mother for her birthday today, and it’s clear she’s on her way to another psychotic break. We’ve been down this road a thousand times. She’s severely bipolar, and her medications frequently stop working. She ends up anxious and paranoid …
Mar 04 2011
Mother’s Day
Just talked to my mom for something approaching four and a half hours. The relationship we have is complicated – bound to be, considering she’s bipolar with occasional psychotic breaks, and I’ve got one hell of a temper. And we’ve both occasionally put each other through hell. Neither one of us is a perfect person. …
Aug 15 2010
I Haz Been Betrayed
There was only one quiet interval at work today wherein I could check my email, and there was this cry for help from my stepmother. She’s got a new cell phone. What new cell phone? I fired back while my stomach made like iron and nickel on the molten earth and sank. I will not …
May 28 2008
On the Other Hand, I have Good News…
…No, I didn’t save a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico. But I found this gold nugget in my inbox: Your dad is going to vote for Obama. Can you believe it? If he gets nominated that is who he will vote for. If he doesn’t, then he will vote …
May 12 2008
Always Talk to Your Mum on Mother’s Day: A Cautionary Tale
It’s not often I’ll ask you to do this, my darlings, but right now, it’s very important you put your drink down and back away slowly. I refuse to be responsible if you don’t. Right? Right. So. True fucking story: I work Sundays, which rather puts a crimp in calling me dear old mums on …
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