Friday 17 August 2012

Just another patient.

Yesterday, I took Sis 3 to see a doctor. She arrived on Sunday last from Sunny Queensland to cheer me up. As some know, I have suffered a few losses lately but none know quite how many. All up, it has been a crowd of grief over a short period. So, considering the state I was in, I handled what happened with outstanding aplomb!

 Sis left me in the waiting room with a pen and a crossword, so I was happy, but as I came to the last clue, a man leaned over the gap between seats and, in a very educated English accent, remarked; “You must be very clever to do those!”

I looked at him, smiling, leaning so close that I was glad he paid attention to mouth hygiene and took in his appearance. He was well dressed, nice clothes, well groomed, even features, intelligent eyes and good looking for a middle aged man, but before I got around to an answer, he challenged me with two statement that caused me to wonder. “I know everything there is to be known. Ask me a question!” I thought I would go on with the game;

“You don’t know my name, but you could easily find out.”
“I can levitate and I can be invisible!”
Now I was intrigued.
He sounded and looked too normal to be a nutter, so I waited.
“Many people don’t believe me,” he confided. “But if you go to Sydney, there must be a few that can do what I do, don’t you think?”
I opened my mouth to agree when his name was called and he disappeared through a door marked ‘Psychiatric Services’.
Damn! I wanted to see him do his stuff!

27 comments:

  1. Interesting story Stafford.

    Working in mental health I sometimes wonder who is 'mad'...

    Sometimes I really believe what residents say to me until an odd little sentence gives the game away. But are they really mad or am I. Perhaps they have an insight into a world that is closed to us...

    Anna :o]

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    1. It is safer to believe they are nutty. But if they tell you stuff, maybe it is true (to them)!

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  2. A few doors down from my flat is a Half-Way House. I pass the residents, all sitting outside smoking, most days on my short walk to the bus-stop. They normally greet me quite heartily and make many illuminating statements, none of them have yet claimed to be the Wizard of Oz though

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    1. I am sure your passing by is a welcome addition to the usual. Their time seems to be spent talking and smoking (for some, also drinking). But they never seem to have anything interesting to DO. I have to have something to do or I go nuts. Oops!

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    2. I'm the Wizard of OZ, Jane !

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    3. I thought you were Salvador Dali!

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  3. I think I guessed where this was going, but hoped it wasn't. Let's hope he got the support he obviously needs.

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    1. He seemed very happy. He smiled readily and exuded confidence. He certainly looked more sand than I do!

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    2. sand?!!! Oh the difference a letter makes. Right Aunt?
      Pffff! I swear the second word was naughty but intentional but the first was just lucky.

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  4. They look smart and can appear so convincing. It's a pity they have that little defect.It cannot be seen but can be felt by those around them. And Jack Nickelson very conveniently represent them. Nice take Stafford!

    Hank

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    1. Yes, Hank. Jack has such even features and great teeth but he makes a chilling insane character, all the more chilling for his looks.

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  5. “You don’t know my name, but you could easily find out ~ I can levitate and I can be invisible!”

    Happy days make me feel as though I'm levitating ... other days I wish for invisibility. And of course, Google knows all!

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    1. Now, wouldn't that have been extraordinary if he had come back with my name!

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  6. You get interesting trips to waiting rooms, don't you? :)
    I'm glad your sister has come to keep you company for a while. Are you OK? I often think about you.
    I wonder what particular flavour of nuttiness the man had?

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    1. Thanks Sue, I have my days, but little sis takes no nonsense from nobody, so she is keeping me on my toes! :-)

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  7. One can learn so much in the hospital!

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  8. You really, really did not want to see him levitating!! That's scary stuff but then again I presume he only 'thought' he could! You'd have run a mile had he risen!! Laughing..............

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    1. On the contrary Bee(etc, he seemed so 'with it' that I was not afraid at all, and in a way, not even my usual sceptical self. Part of me wanted to see him do it!

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    2. Perhaps you should go back to the waiting room on the same day. same time next week. I'm almost sure he has a weekly appointment!

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    3. We are going near there today, skin cancer check for me, so I will take a peep. If I can't see him, then I guess he has made himself invisible! That makes sense, doesn't it? But... but... if he is invisible he could also be levitating!
      I am passing all this onto DocFTSE. He understands these things!

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  9. That was a slightly creepy experience, but those things always make good blog material. Well told.

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  10. Seems a very archetypal confrontation with the Jungian trickster to me, Staff, and he is strong enough to take a physical form. The wind seems to be blowing quite strong in Kansas at the moment, i am sure your strong wit and fine intellect will see you through .

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    1. Um... Kansas. Now let me see. I guess Dorothy and the dawg did levitate, complete with house! Not a bad trick.
      PS. What happened to Ned? He seems to have invisiblised. :-)

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  11. No kidding- I might have followed him? Nah- they might not let me out! Hope all is well with sis #3. And I hope she is being good company for you-you deserve the best!

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    1. Thanks Kath, she is now onto a Chinese herbal concoction and that seems to be working. The poor dear is under a lot of stress (internet dating). I will 'cop' it if she reads this!

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  12. I'm sorry you've been going through so much, Stafford but am glad your sister is with you. An interesting encounter you had here, and it is hard to know who is 'normal' and who is not. The romantic in me would like to believe the man you met could indeed levitate. He may have been passing through from the world of faery *grin*

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  13. I think he could. He was so charismatic I might give up Atheism and start a new religion! Well, L Ron Hubbard did it on less evidence! I will call it TL (TRANScenDENTAL LEVITATION) and we venerate deciduous teeth with a ready made VHP (very holy person) in the Tooth Fairy! Joining fee is only $1,000, free if you can already levitate.
    Can I sign you up?

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