STAY IN BED or Learn THIS!!!

 

Most people, I warrant, would say that it is NOT a good idea to "hide" in bed for long periods of time, no matter the reason; a majority of folks, I imagine, would say it was medically and physically unsound.  Even I have agreed with this premise.

That is why I got out of bed this evening.  One should eat in at least semi-regular intervals, for one thing, and also yank oneself up "by the bootstraps" and hopefully change one's mood/mindset.  This, in fact, was my thinking earlier tonight (technically yesterday? - a semi-vampire lifestyle makes chronography difficult).

Carefully chosen television seemed safe enough.  I caught Jeeves and Wooster - you CANNOT go wrong with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie; I should buy the series on DVD.  It was an excellent start.  Then I flipped over to TLC (The Learning Channel).  I thought that innocuous home makeover demonstrations, fashion advice - even that show about the tattoo artists would be the perfect fare.  TLC (The Learning Channel) does air more in-depth "human interest" stories sometimes, but you're more likely to run across those remodeling shows, or even Untold Stories of the E.R..  I realize that I am unusual (boy - HOWDY - I believe I established that fact long ago to even the most casual observers).  I apologize again, Bronwen, for all the times I played shows with graphic surgery and live childbirth while we were eating breakfast (that is, before you, with a slightly blanched face, asked me ever-so-politely to change the channel); I wasn't thinking - indeed, it is not palatable for many people to view emergency surgery during breakfast - to some, perhaps it is NEVER agreeable.  To me, it's just interesting.

Now once (twice?), on TLC, I watched The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off, an excellent documentary (with an unworthy title, I'd argue) about Jonny Kennedy, who narrates the film with following introduction, "I'll tell you the story of my life and my death."  He died at thirty-six from epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a horrifically debilitating genetic disease, and allowed a filmmaker to document his final months in frank, uncompromising terms.  It was beautiful, sad and inspiring,  and - yes - made me weep (and rightly so).  But, like I said, the choices are usually much more banal and decidedly less honest, sincere, human - not so much "triumph and tragedy."

Tonight, I was OUT OF LUCK.  So help me, I happened onto what I think could easily be deemed the TRILOGY OF INCREASING POIGNANCY AND DEPRESSION.  Here are the titles:  1) The Man Whose Arms Exploded, 2) Wild Child: The Story of Feral Children, and, I kid you not, 3) It Isn't Easy Being a Wolf Boy.  I should have retreated just as soon as I saw the warning on for the first program:

This program contains material that may be disturbing to some viewers.  Parental discretion is advised.

But NO, I was not dissuaded by this, as, like I've mentioned, surgical images and such do not disturb me.  And then it was too late; the program was like a train wreck; HORRIFYING, but I could not look away.  Basically, it showed some of the dangers of anabolic steroids and talked about body dismorphia and "The Adonis Syndrome," etc.  As for bursting arms, I should point out that it was only ONE arm that "exploded."  The owner of this arm, who was (is?) the holder of the Guinness Book of World Records title for "largest biceps," is shown (filming HIMSELF) performing "surgery" on HIMSELF, trying to drain a hematoma resulting from a ghastly infection.  Unfortunately, after two hours - and cover your eyes for a moment now if you are squeamish - draining two GLASS-FULLS of puss and blood, he still had to have emergency surgery.  Ironically, this was not what grossed me out.  The "body-building" competitions (at least on the extreme level shown here) are what made me sick.  So, admittedly, the first part of the "trilogy" didn't illicit a truly sympathetic response; I felt something of akin to "you've made your BIG HUGE MUSCLE-BOUND DANGEROUS AND ILLEGALLY DRUG-ENHANCED bed, and now you must lie in it."

But then, it was Wild Child: The Story of Feral Children.  It only took me a few minutes to realize that I had previously seen the program.  And even though I walked away from it (checked email and whatnot), it made me sad all over again.  It is the true account of abandoned children, horrible abuse and neglect, and innocence and promise that is lost forever.  I'm not saying DO NOT watch it, but I recommend watching it at a time when staying in bed for long periods of time hasn't been a very recent choice of activities in your life.

One might ask, WHY did I go back and watch It Isn't Easy Being a Wolf Boy.  This is a good question.  I thought, just PERCHANCE, that they were trying to be a wee bit FUNNY with that title, and it couldn't be ALL poignancy and despair.  Can you say WRONG?  This leads me to advise MYSELF in the way that I always have wanted to counsel people who are inordinately shocked and appalled at some film or program they have viewed.  I want to tell them, "THE INFORMATION IS OUT THERE; DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST."  Amen, Sister.  Here is what I should have looked up FIRST:

Jesus "Chuy" Aceves was born with hypertrichosis, a condition that causes facial hair over to grow over his entire face. He's been supporting his family by performing as The Wolf Boy in a circus [in California]. He now wants a regular job [back in Mexico with his family] and may have to shave.

It turns out that many members of his family also have the condition (though it is rare, it obviously has a HUGE familial genetic component) - many have also worked as circus performers.  Though his wife does not carry the gene, both his daughters also have hypertrichosis.  This story is HEART-BREAKING.  As if the staring, the prejudice, the old women crossing themselves on the street right in front of him were not enough, he has been kicked out of restaurants because he "might scare the patrons" and was once (almost?) arrested at a bank because they thought he was wearing a mask.  He finally does shave, even though he has lived his life believing that his condition is "a gift from God," because he cannot otherwise find a job AND live with his family.

Clearly there are myriad lessons to be derived from such a narrative.  Not the least of which is Plato's admonition:

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

The thing is, if you, yourself, are in too dark a place, knowing how lucky you are can just riddle you with an extra-large helping of guilt.  Too much guilt is BAD.  I am now going back to bed.  I promise I will acknowledge how lucky I am another time (and I assure you I do know it at heart).

NOTE:  To those of you viewing this with Internet Explorer, I have yet to figure out what about THIS particular entry makes the columns go NUTTY BONKERS.  It looks great in Firefox...  OH HOW I SHOULD HAVE STAYED IN BED!!!

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