Briefly

I’m finding it hard to write these days, I don’t know why. But I continue to read. I worked as a chaplain in a Nursing Home for 4 years, and resolved to read as many of the great books as I could while I could. We had a Shakespeare prof who vaguely remembered the Bard; it broke my heart. What I’m reading:

•  Jewish Study Bible, Job.
• Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan, Return of Tarzan, Son of Tarzan. I needed some light reading. Burroughs appeals to the basic pleasures: physical prowess, wealth, danger. But it’s disappointing to find racism and sexism at its rankest in his portrayal of Africans and women.
• The Iliad. I decided, if I wanted to read adventure, I might as well start with the best. I have a series of CDs from the Teaching Company (www.Teach12.com), a great source of knowledge, to help me get the most from the book. It’s challenging, lots of Greek names, lots of spear thrusts through the nipples, and armor clatterng upon people.

I watched streaming video: Perry Mason (cbs.com) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. What a powerful film! Anyone who works in mental health needs to wrestle with these issues of how our mental health system often simply restrains and reduces people to DSM-IV diagnoses. And, the bars now are interior, so much of the time, with psychotropic meds controlling, changing personality. I’m grateful for the dedication of my docs, but at the same time I know more than one who is like Nurse Wratchett. As for ECT (electro-shock treatments)—they are helpful to a few, abusive to others.

At the moment I’ve not been able to meditate. After a couple of peaceful sessions, I’ve found myself so full of thoughts and restlessness, that after 20 minutes or so on two successive nights I quit. I’m pissed about it. I thought I could manage the basc moves. I guess it’s back to GO, don’t collect $200.