“You want to talk about something serious?”, I asked.
“No.”
“That depends.”
“Not with you.”
I continued, “Well, first of all we are all refugees and generally mentally ill.”
A Biologist, a Freudian therapist, a lady close to my own age that writes poetry, a 104 year old fossil lady, and two other elder ladies were there in the coffee room making toast and drinking coffee. I had come down to fill my thermos so as to return to my apartment where I was feeling inspired about the morning writing.
I looked at the Biologist. I could see his having aged quite a bit in the last couple of months. I hadn’t paid him much attention because he is intellectually arrogant and none but his self knows all that much.
“You’re getting old.” I stated.
“That’s not true, I’m getting younger.” He joked.
I paused and looked him in the eye, “When was the last time you cleaned your mirror?”
He paused a minute and laughed enthusiastically. I do like his humor when he isn’t mired in himself.
Says Who?” came a shot of confrontation, reacting to my initial statement.
“I do”, I stated. “First of all, we are refugees. We are refugees from our community of employed and productive members of society.
“Secondly, we do not know how, nor will we face or address the question of our mental condition.” I continued before anyone had time to interrupt me.
“And thirdly, we will not allow someone else to address these questions because we immediately judge them as not knowing about, or not being qualified to discuss, such things. And this is because we embrace the idea that one needs to have a doctorate degree to know anything. Most feel that we own knowledge. Our first response is to look at the person and seek to invalidate them and/or regard them as frivolous before even thinking about the question. Believing we and our “kind” own knowledge and that no other can possess or obtain it without our judgment and approval. All of this is mental illness.” I concluded.
“Why should anyone listen to you?” He asked. “I agree, I judge you to be mentally ill.”
I paused, took a breath and went on, “Do you wish to discuss the phenomenon of ownership and possession of knowledge? Or do you wish to discuss who is qualified to discuss anything or everything?”
“How about the mental condition of retired social refugees?” I asked.
Needless to say, all of this is made up. I gave my acknowledgement to each. I have no judgment, only observation of their character. I filled my thermos and made my way back to the elevator, then to my room to exercise, make breakfast, eat, and sit down to transfer this writing to the computer.