You Want Misery? I'll Give You Misery
Violence.
So much violence all around me these days.
Death, too.
Cancers are spreading in two of my cousins, both of whom will die soon. One is 34, the other is about 50.
My work involves trying to curb violence, but nothing works sometimes. I stopped at a pile of some newspapers a minute ago in my office, and read this chilling story in The Washington Post about a rape, a clue, and a funeral home.
I have other stories to tell you, ones with angry young men and bitter old ladies. But for now, I leave you with this link to last week’s stories on “This American Life.” You know, more doom and gloom to get you through the day. I'm going to close my office door, plug in my headphones, and hunker down to work now.
From the "This American Life" episode:
Act One. Dry Eyes and Videotape.
Jason Minter lived through the worst trauma you could imagine: he was at a friend's house, a gun pressed to his head, while his mother and another woman were raped and shot to death in the next room by robbers. He was six. And even though he saw a series of therapists as he grew up, he's never been able to feel anything about what happened. He's never even cried about it. So almost 30 years after the crime, Jason decides to make a documentary, to revisit every aspect of his mother's murder, in hopes that he'll connect to what happened, and to her, in some way. (30 minutes)
Act Two. The Good Son.
A story about a mother who wants to commit suicide and a son who dutifully helps her do it—even though his mother is a happy, healthy, independent person. How did they manage to pull it off? Practice, practice, practice. (16 minutes)
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P.S. AD: I just saw your comment. I'm not sure I've successfully gotten my pertness in order, but I very much enjoyed the phrase. Will try to right that ASAP. I suppose it would be OK to laugh at this point over my landlady blaming me for a leak in the pipes in the walls of my bathroom: "You've been careless. I NEVER leave my house before I make sure the toilet flusher is in the correct position."
FYI: The leak was invisible in my bathroom; only visible to the people who live below me. But yeah, definitely I will remain transfixed by a TOILET FLUSHER I never knew was broken and NOT LEAVE MY HOUSE until it is in THE CORRECT POSITION. And then I will push her off the roof, leave a clue, preferably a torn muumuu and a toilet part near her body...
posted by TK @ 11:30
4 comments
4 Comments:
I'm still utterly convinced that your building will explode due to years and years of built up steam pressure. I also fully expect you to be out when it happens and to receive a picture with you grinning(not sure why) standing on the rubble where it once stood and pointing in a 'this is where it was' kind of way.
AD x
The toilet flusher incident has tickled me. I keep laughing and my staff are looking worried. I want you to set up a webcam so I can monitor it from here..
ADx
you have two strange ideas that have come up repeatedly that forthwith i shall address now:
1. that i grin at irony a lot.
this may be true. but you seem to have tapped into a bit of my character that others do not take quite as much pleasure in. for this i am greatly pleased. i feel you understand mcbickle.
2. that it is somehow my fault you often look absurd in front of your staff. i urge you to reconsider this notion. i am quite willing to bet you look absurd often enough in front of your staff when not reading my blog. i shall expect a photo that proves this theory thus.
and webcam to come! grand idea. now as you were, AD. back to doing whatever it is you do over there.
i just want to add that one of my google ads on this post reads: "How to Never Be Abducted."
it's clearly on to you, AD. careful.
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