One of my old friends left his beautiful wife for a very unattractive marriage counsellor (let's just say she was as wide as she was tall) that he and his wife had been seeing to save their troubled union. The woman, (let's call her Dr. Strangelove) claimed that to be self-actualized, one had to throw everything to the wind, to abandon your life as you know it and fall into the abyss. Huh? If we are taking the abyss as a euphemism for her enormous ass, I suppose she was right. His life changed (mostly his bank account -- his wife took him for all she could considering the circumstances -- advice to all in illicit relationships -- do not write long letters describing your lovemaking) and all he said about his choice (she dumped him shortly after he chose her -- part of the unorthodox treatment perhaps?) was that some women are more alive than others.
There are two schools of thought about all of this -- that being in love is worth everything (the only crime according to that great philosopher Anthony Quinn is not loving!) and that being in love is a crock of shit -- all that I'd walk over hell if you dropped your hat and put it back on your precious little head stuff gets old and tired and you mostly just end up walking around in hell looking for a hat that isn't there. As for being alive, it's a tough gig. You start each morning breathing. Sometimes you visit the ocean and enjoy the tides that come and go as they damn well please, washing everything you've built or written in the sand away.
Michelle's Spell of the Day
"We are most alive when we're in love." John Updike
Chet Baker's Prettiest Girlfriend
1 shot of espresso
1 shot of raspberry vodka
Serve in a martini glass and garnish with shaved chocolate.
Benedictions and Maledictions
In answer to Cindy's question about "Day of the Dead" -- you are correct. The rapist in the poem is the Chelsea rapist in New York who chloroformed a woman on Halloween night 2005 (he'd dressed up as a member of the NYPD and cleared her building, telling the tenants it was on fire) and raped her on video camera for nearly twelve hours. The story is that he was a frustrated writer/journalist (for Women's Wear Daily!) who had produced one off-off-off broadway play and had become obsessed with the television show Nip/Tuck. His detailed journals were found before his capture about the rape -- how he planned it and what he would film. A student on a college campus in the south (he had been on the run for a couple of months) recognized him from the news and turned him into the police. When the police found him, he took out a knife and slashed his throat as they approached. The hospital staff saved him and so he is awaiting trial. His father has spoken out about how troubled his son is -- like most of the stuff parents say about their children, I'm thinking, yeah, we knew that.
13 comments:
Have you been on his cycle, mama? Old friend? This is a very cool, shortie roman a clef. Anne Wilson Schaef, wasn't it?--AP
Have a nice weekend, bubbakins.
Pretty good guess and no, I wouldn't touch his cycle with a ten foot pole, as we say in the south! The friendship is old in that it is no longer. The only good thing I can say about it is that it provides good writing material. Cheers, M
Gee, I've never believed in counselors, psychologists, or psychiatrists--that's what friends are for. My wife's aunt was a psychologists, or was it psychiatrist?, (doesn't really matter to me) and when we first met she said I must feel pretty good about teaching kids from the Wayne County Youth Home. She wanted to know my secret. I told her pain was the best teaching method. It most certainly is an easy way to learn a lesson. Good post Michelle (and I won't even challenge you on the marriage vs being single issue). --Jim
Michelle,
you are so funny we'll be laughing for days and days, even with horrible things happening to so many women and, truthfully, to men too. The Chelsea rapist case is extra nightmarish in that he really wanted to get even with his x
and chose a friend of hers at random. Beautiful expression, you are so alive, Michelle!
xo;
Cindy
Hey, M, love the post; the photo, a little disturbing, though. "Some women are more alive than others" until they've been with him awhile--care for a vampire, anyone? Have a great weekend! Love,R
to my Cajun beautatius Q, Living on tulsa time
Gonna set my watch back to it
cause you know that Ive been through it
Living on Tulsa time
Thanks for everyday! You're a real rocker spirit and I like the photo shot, true and fine as you are!
R2 C2!
Dear Michelle,
You're looking very much alive to me. Splendid post, as always. I'm relieved they caught that awful man from Chelsea. What a creep show! Your writing blows me away every time. I only hope not to be transferred to Japan or something before the dust settles with my work. To take you out for dinner would be an honor.
Bravo!
Ooops -- still a newcomer at these things.
That woman's philosophy is from Fight Club. "Hitting bottom" and all of that. Pretty unispired actually, although it makes for a fun movie/book when contrasted with an ikea loving insomniac.
Love isn't a crock of shit. I can't back up that statement but I know it to be true.
You are such a written word freak. I could read you forever, baby doll. Cheers too.
Today's triple-header "Quote of the Day":#1:The American dream is susceptible to having the open-ended definition of success, which can equally include salvation or writing the great American novel, narrowed to wealth, job status, or power.--J.L.Hochschild;#2: Lord lift us up where we belong, to the mountains high, where the eagles fly.--Joe C.;#3: I don't believe in an afterlife, but I'm bringing along a change of underwear.--Laura Brasseur
Holy shit! nice picture michelle. hehe I took a psychology class and it was pretty interesting. great post today
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