Well, after a week-long absence, guess who's back? Surely, that's who. The long-haired orange tabby of the new bunch of HM cats had taken off the night of their first release at the HM Ranch. I thought maybe he'd run away or got eaten by wolves (coyotes). But this morning when I opened the little door to their cathouse to feed 'em, there was all three of 'em there, instead of just Goodness and Mercy. I'm real glad about that.
ENTRY #2: Making Sense of This Mess
In this entry, the second of the third section (Meaning), McManus reveals that he had made himself vulnerable and submissive to a psychiatrist (or psychologist) -- someone with a degree and a comfortable, long couch. He let someone inside his head to peer around in his soul as he tried to grapple with the order of the world and his place in it. He felt confused, intimidated and overwhelmed, it seems. So he sought help.
Something about that creeps me out. I definitely believe that people with those degrees can help people. Heck, counseling and helping someone can be a very addictive and rewarding experience. But something un-nerves me about a profession that has state-given authority to lock people away. I met a guy (Russian rock guitarist and composer of The Trumpet Call) named Valeri Barinov. He was sent to psych wards and given psycho-active drugs and other treatment in Soviet Russia back in the 80s ... simply because he did something considered "crazy." He believed in Jesus and used his skills as an artist to try and communicate that faith and truth to others. This was considered "crazy" in an atheistic state. He was tortured for his belief in something that someone with a degree thought was a delusion. Most of the people I know have lived their whole lives (and "whole" is a good descriptive term for quality as well as quantity) and never visited a psychiatrist. I'm glad the profession exists, as I've stated. There's just a few degrees of mistrust I have with the "system."
Anyway, McManus uncovered that he had this missing element in his life. His family raised him to forget about his dad. He was "erased" from all conversation, etc. It was as if the man did not exist. But McManus knew different. He felt the vacuum.
It's interesting how longing and meaning can get your attention when something's wrong or missing.
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at December 12, 2007 08:19 AM