My Bipolar Talk tomorrow! - 52 people so far!

Gosh! I'm floored. So far, 52 people have signed up to hear me speak at the Holy Redeemer Counseling Center in Huntingdon Valley, PA.

Someone asked me if I get nervous. No, I said. Many years ago I learned how to take care of my nerves. I was giving a talk somewhere. I was still on lithium. I decided I would not take an extra half of Klonopin to calm me down but would use 'movements and gestures' to alleviate my anxiety.

People began filing into the room. I think this is when I used to teach a one-nite class at Upper Moreland Adult Evening School. As each person came in the room, I would shake their hand, introduce myself and give each person a name tag.

I kept up a patter of chatter. Nervous people talk a lot. So I did that. It worked!

I taught about 3 of these classes. One time a married couple attended. After class, I saw them in the parking lot. The woman said, My husband got very sick after class. He threw up in the parking lot. Apparently, he identified with what I was saying and had diagnosed himself with some major problems.

Look, I said. I live 4 minutes away from here. Follow me home and I'll talk to both of you in my living room.

We talked for over an hour. He was a very interesting man who had total control over his wife as if she were a puppet. It was unnatural. But he was suffering. I helped get them in therapy with their minister. Gradually I lost contact with them and only remembered them now.

Oh, the people I've met!

Tomorrow will be no different. Fifty-two more people. I wrote up a new 4-page handout. I like to challenge my brain by writing a new handout each time.

Tomorrow I'll drive up to the Provincialate in my new car. It's just like the old car except.....

-it has all its hubcaps
-the underbelly isn't rusting out
-if Scott locks me in the trunk again I can easily open it from inside
-all the power windows work instead of just the front ones
-outdoor temp shows up right on the dashboard: either 80 is the temp outside or the projected age of my death

I looked thru the door of the showroom at my old car sitting there and studied it for twenty magnificent moments, just gazing on its profile. Such dignity! I think if one word describes my old car it's dignity!

You have no idea what that car has been through. When I return to the dealer in a few moments I'm gonna ask to see the VIN report (it costs $40 online). I wanna see if they reported it stolen, which it once was. A man died in my car. I never met him. It was the thief who unwittingly passed away in the car. I consider it a sacred vehicle. This is not something I shared with the dealership tho I answered all their questions truthfully.

The one question they forgot to ask me was: Do you consider your car a sacred vehicle?