Day #175 - Too long off the bridge...

 
I cannot believe that it is almost three weeks since I posted. I suppose it could have been called a funk or something. For many days I arrived at some fertile post title and was immediately flooded by ideas but then, as is so often the case; POOF!  Gone. Smashed like a billiard ball out of the path of the "right thing" by a bombardment of "new" information. The first book about ADD that I looked at following my diagnosis was called "Driven To Distraction" by Hallowell and Ratey...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driven_to_Distraction_%28ADHD%29

"New" information is the term I use to refer to any stimulus that distracts from the desired object of focus. When I first started reading about some of those with ADD it was like reading a biography of myself in some cases. The desire to seek out high-stimulation situations and environments as well as the total willingness to "throw caution to the wind" whilst simultaneously KNOWING that this wasn't really quite right. It always seemed to me that I knew but only afterwards or long before, never at the time in question. That often lead to what can only be described as stupid behaviour. One of the things that I recognise in the condition is the whole being guided as it were, by the constant bombardment of new and interesting "things". Whilst ADD has to a great extent enabled me to learn about many different things it has been a curse when it comes to staying focused. There are times though during which it is possible to hyperfocus. You can get completely immersed in whatever it is you are doing and usually make a great job of it. IF one can keep that momentum going then  it can be great. There is then of course, the looming difficulty in the whole "getting too high" thing that I have covered previously Once mania steps in the inevitable crash makes it tedious. One can also become very laissez faire about whatever it is they become in engaged in too, confident that all will be well but in actual fact the waters are rising around you quietly. Sometimes it is good to know when stupidity is getting an upper hand.

I chose the title of this post to describe a Master or Commander of a vessel, absent from the bridge and thus their true responsibilities. I don't want to lend too much gravity to it but even writing a blog like this is a responsibility to myself and I ought be doing more. I chose the title to describe the laxness on that front but also the "fog" that one can find themselves in difficult waters. It can help to be able to see better.

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For the past couple of weeks (months?) I have been trying to get my van sorted out with all of the necessary documents for roadworthiness. The cost of the mandatory test is €111.16 with a retest fee of €43.58 - the retest to be taken within 21 days. I have spent a bunch of money on this van and it is just gobbling it up. The thing failed the test last week after I had new tyres fitted and had some brake hoses replaced. There are a few things that will cost more money to put right after the test revealed the need for a number of pretty expensive parts that will be time consuming to fit. There is no doubt that having the van is great and being able to move around is VERY useful but the expense so far has been punishing in terms of the "hidden extras".

I don't really have that much more to report for now only to apologise for the protracted absence to those that read regularly. Welcome too to all of those reading in new parts of the world. Like I have written more than a few times, I will try harder to write more often. It just gets a bit foggy sometimes when there is so much that needs to be done.

Day #156 - And furthermore...

After I awoke this morning and cleared the end of the dreams from my mind I waited for just a moment to get my bearings before I went to wash and get the breakfast ready. Whilst I sat and was getting ready to get started. I was reminded of my previous post from yesterday "Day #155". I thought about what I really wanted to describe but being tired and not being able to find the correct words to help an idea develop I decided to think some more.

We are all instinctively equipped to know when something is a little out of the ordinary. This skill is something that we developed many thousands of years ago and was something that as a human race we all became dependent upon in order to ensure our own survival. I am sure that anyone reading this has experienced a feeling of something that "wasn't quite right" or a feeling of apprehension that was based on something that they "felt". I am not suggesting that this is some kind of "sixth sense" - though I do hold that we "experience" a lot that cannot attributed directly to sight, sound etc.

This feeling and the way it guides us can be described as "intuition", "instinct", "experience" or even "luck" and frequently is described as such. Further to this as a person moves through life and they "develop" this feeling or skill they may be able to enjoy greater success in life and also possibly in society (if that is what they are after). We have all experienced that feeling of intense confidence that can come with being equipped with the knowledge, a priori, that we ARE going to win and that there is no other outcome. To be sage enough to be able to accept defeat should it arrive or not may well determine the outcome of further "development" of our success.

So, to return briefly to mental illness. I genuinely believe that if someone that doesn't know you is presented with the information that you have "mental problems", you are more than likely to be treated differently than you would were you presented as having just won a literary award or medal for some achievement. Beyond that you have "famous" people. I have met plenty of them and I can guarantee that they are just human and in many cases a bit odd, like ANY human I suppose. I have seen (especially young women) completely lose control in the presence of their idol. This idol is just an ordinary bag of flesh and bones but the key difference in popular perception between the idol and the ordinary "man on the street" is the manner and way in which they have been presented to the public and the media. The "wrapper" in which they find themselves.

We are often given "wrappers" by other people. Someone that has achieved something in life may wish to keep it private ("leaving it in the box"?) Or, they may decide to present this new "information" or "intelligence" in a certain way; to many or few, with grandiosity or humility, with self-effacement or arrogance. Regardless of whichever "wrapper" that they decide to put the information into it must be remembered that the way a person reacts to the other all depends on the "wrapper" and also the way in which the "wrapper" is "sold" to you. For example...

Imagine that you are at a party and you are being introduced to a number of "new" people by some friend. At a distance your "friend" gives you some bio information about the person you are about to be introduced to. The way that you will view this new person is entirely dependent on the information you have been given (in the form of the bio) and the way that it is presented to you. This is what I call the "wrapper".  You are much more likely to be amenable to a prize-winning author than a violent and deceptive deviant. This is nothing more than common sense. Of course it would be the acme of foolishness to get too cosy with a proven criminal. What if however that the inverse were true. That your friend doing the introductions "got their wires crossed" and mixed the people up - this all being based on how that person was "sold" to them at some earlier point. This might go some way to explaining the phrase, "Mud sticks!"

For years I knew a woman who just sneeered at me and gave me dirty looks every time I saw her. I was a bit non-plussed by this AND confused because I hadn't the faintest idea in the world who she was. EVERY single time that I saw her there would just be this obvious frowning scowl. One day, I guess it was really just curiosity but I walked up to her and asked straight out. She immediately "went into one" and started cursing and berating me. I noticed though that she was accusing me of stuff that happened whilst I wasn't even in the country . It turns out that she thought that I was another person entirely, someone that had a slightly similar name to mine. This simple case of mistaken identity (probably based on jumping to conclusions more than anything else) lead to months of pure hatred from this woman towards me. It also meant that were I to have been described by the woman to anyone that didn't know me THEIR impression would have been completely coloured by the way in which I was presented to them and the ideas that they developed subsequently.

This is an area in which a lobster can excel at dragging down another. The more experienced lobster can just present a small bit of false information - delivered with "sincerity" and also mild ambiguity - and THEN let the "story" take on a life of its' own. Sparsely distributed disinformation may take a little time to gather momentum but momentum it shall gather and a great deal. With this then one might be able to end up occupying a whole new position in the hearts and minds of others all because of either a case of mistaken identity but as is often the matter these days - lobsterism.

I would advise anyone reading this to look up "Kim's Game" (Game of the Jewels) on wikipedia or some such and learn about something that would be of great assistance in helping to develop a sharp memory and efficient recall (especially in the young).

Thank you dear reader, have a good day and productive week. be happy and remember that ultimately we can determine what "wrapper" we are put into.

 

Day #155 - Four Non Blogs

I tried recently to really get a grip on more consistent posting and on four occasions I wrote and ranted and then just abandoned the posts. Although the most popular blog entries are the ones that are in some way "sensational" I don't really want to get too bombastic with the "adventure stories" just yet. There is quite a bit that I want to write but I guess that you must be "in the form" for it. I am not currently "in the form". One thing that I do want to write about though is mental illness. I want to describe it in VERY broad terms as it would be wrong and slightly irresponsible to start proffering opinions in a focused way. I have no idea what it is like to be a cat or a teapot so I cannot venture to say. I will recommend a good essay on such matters and that is one called "What is it Like to be a Bat?" by Thomas Nagel. The full essay can be found at the link below...

http://rintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil1000/Nagel.pdf

It is a good read and can possibly be of use in developing perspectives on consciousness. 

It was Frank Zappa (I think) that said..."if you meet someone that has a cold or a sneeze or a broken leg you feel sorry for them but if they are developing a mental health condition then; THEY'RE CRAZY!!!" 

If I meet someone before they get any idea that there are some mental health issues they seem fine when they don't know. But when I may meet with them AFTER they know there is usually a marked difference in their behaviour between the "before" person and the "after" person. The "overcompensation" that one collides with at times is truly palpable in most cases. In their efforts to appear more relaxed and at ease it is easy to see that some folks are really just not at ALL comfortable. I have become very candid about describing my health issues as I find it better that folks get to know early on if they are likely to be spending any time around you. There are degrees of severity with any condition but I am pleased to say that I am pretty sure that there are no microphones hidden in the wall, under the beds, cameras in the library, I really AM Lady Gaga etc. MY difficulty is that I may drop into a deep depression at anytime or other times I may be euphoric and full of enthusiasm. I find it helps for others that IF they are aware you may burst into tears at any moment then you yourself are much less likely to so if not burdened by the anxiety that goes with being afraid of doing so. Many years ago being Bipolar was all about getting sedated but these days treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy, counselling, a good diet and plenty of exercise are widely considered to be very beneficial. Some medicines too have transformed the life of the person with the condition. There are "before" and "after" scenarios in there too.

Stress can be the big problem. It can "grease the wheels" for the onset of a down. Anxiety leads to a poor appetite and desire to punish oneself. This thinking will exacerbate any looming depression and thus the cycle commences. It is the ability to identify this situation early on in the scheme of things that can be of real help in staying in good form. Sometimes though it just arrives and there is very little that one can do to avoid it, so, it is as well to steer through. I would also urge anyone that there is no shame in trying to talk to someone either. Last week I was very glad that I had a couple of people to talk to. Anyone that suffers from bipolar KNOWS that it can be hard to stretch out a bit and try to interact but if we can try, at least then we are on the way to getting out of the funk. It is also true that most bipolar people know that when you are in it - you're in it.

There are sometimes more difficult obstacles to be overcome. Imagine, for example, that your own self-esteem had been eroded to the point that you felt the situation is hopeless. This is obviously not a nice place to be in and the best thing to do at that point is to try to remember that you have been there before and that it DOES get better. Easy to say, hard to hear, but well worth listening to.

To all that consider themselves "apart" from those with the mental equivalent of a light sneeze (or a broken leg) I would ask them to carefully reconsider that not all people are "nuts" - they just need some sincerity and hopefully respect. I have seen it and it can bring out the best in people of all kinds and on either end too. If your new acquaintance upon receiving such good manners still considers themselves Batman or Captain Nemo well then probably best to give them a little space.

Sometimes a person may shout out to themselves seemingly. Sometimes someone will think that they are twenty times their own weight and terribly ugly. Sometimes someone may seem to have just too much energy or does not appear to be able to listen. Sometimes someone might just cry for no apparent reason. Nobody sets out to be like that but sometimes it just cannot be avoided.





 

Day # 146 - NO! That isn't finished yet.

WARNING - EXPLICIT CONTENT THAT IS QUITE UNPLEASANT. PLEASE NAVIGATE AWAY FROM THIS PAGE IF YOU ARE LIKELY TO BE SHOCKED. DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER EXCEPT AT YOUR OWN RISK. I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY OFFENCE CAUSED BY THE CONTENT ON THIS PAGE.















I often wanted to write a piece of music that was "an apology to the world" and I still think of it a lot. During the past six weeks or so I decided that it was ok to have a few pints but what has been happening is that with other events and stress I have been returning to that old cycle of self-medicating using alcohol. When I look back at my life virtually all the mad stuff that I did was reacting to stress and then letting that take hold, have a few beers and then go do something really stupid. I look back and hate myself for all of the stupid stuff that I have done and said. 

Many years ago I wanted to become a soldier. I had done some basic stuff in the reserve forces but I wanted to join up full-time and live the life. My family has a strong tradition of military service and I so wanted to be part of that. I discovered in my late teens that I was colour blind and also have some heart trouble. Whilst I love the former (along with ADD) I am not a massive fan of the idea of heart problems. I never became a serviceman although I did work for a while in security. I hated it. I think that the only thing I miss are some of the people that I worked with.

I cannot begin to describe the feelings of needless guilt and self hatred that seem to have gotten way worse during the past ten years. I put it down to the stuff that is going on in the world and my sensitivity to it. I wish that I was a better man but I am not really doing that well at it lately. I have always tried my best to be real but that "real" isn't to the liking of many people. Those that do get on with me - I value their friendship a great deal.

As may have been apparent from the past few posts I have been rapid cycling with depression and even thinking "What's the point?" but I HAVE to keep going. In order to do that effectively I need to try and withdraw and reconsider my options. A short time back - less than six months I became friendly with a Gentleman that is interested in radio and technology. We have never met but we correspond via email and have exchanged a couple of letters. It is a strange thing that though we have never met I value his friendship a great deal. I hope that it will continue. In correspondence he has given me some sage advice but of late I have (probably) burdened him with manic behaviour, nonetheless the man has been very kind and tolerant of me and has been a great help in assisting me in my efforts to do certain stuff in radio. It is the fact that plain, simple effortless kindness, a TRUE human kindness, still exists that makes me keep going.

I would like to put all of my mistakes right. I'd love to be able to apologise to everyone that I was rude or unpleasant to. I would love to make amends with those I have offended or p*ssed off. One cannot just aim at being a "people pleaser" - THAT is ridiculous and I find that sort of moral obsequiousness to be suspect. I have had a few false starts during the past week or so but I have decided that today is going to be the beginning of the change. I am going to try to get back on the horse because I must. I am no good to anyone in a depressed state so it is up to me to try and get a handle on this. I usually get about one manic period per year but the current one is easily the longest lasting and certainly the most painful. I am finding it virtually impossible to eat. I am reminded that it is important when I think of a saying from an old and VERY dear friend; "An empty bag won't stand!" - I am going to try and eat today.

I just want to say here and now that I am sorry for the things that I have done that weren't nice to people. I am sorry if I was ever insulting or bad mannered. I apologise unreservedly to those I have offended but I make no excuse for any retort I have made towards aggression and threatening behaviour.

When I was a child some pretty awful stuff happened to me and sometimes I had to watch people that I loved get hurt and feel pain. I also did something that I hate myself for. I was about 12 years old and I found a small cat that was stray. I brought him to my Grandmother's house and gave him some food. I loved playing with him and making him purr. I had no idea about what was going to happen. My Grandmother had become very unwell after her first born son had died. He was a robust man in his mid forties that died in his sleep from a cerebral hemorrhage. I used to spend a lot of time with my Grandmother after my uncle died. She became very depressed and drank a fair bit as a result of her son's death. I am not trying to rationalise here but I must get it off my chest so to speak. About a week after the cat came along I came in from school early as we were given a "half-day". My Grandmother was quite upset and it was easy to tell that she had been crying and had been drinking. Please don't get me wrong - she wasn't a big drinker but she did get like that after her son died.  I went looking for the cat and I was told that he was in the back yard , he was dirty and "full of fleas" and that I would have to get rid of him. There was a lot of arguing from me but my Gran was insistent. I didn't understand and I couldn't question. I was told to "get rid" of the cat. I tried to explain that I couldn't just throw him out. I was then told that the world can be a cruel place sometimes and that sometimes we have to do things that are hard. I was beginning to understand but then I realised that I was being to told to do away with the cat. This was to be something that I was bound to take responsibility for.

I carried him to the sea near where I lived and then I had to "do away with" the cat. That was nearly 40 years ago and there is rarely a day that I don't think of it. I feel terrible for having to have killed that innocent creature and I so truly wish that I didn't. When I did it I was a little upset and that passed after a week or so but since early adulthood it haunts me. I have always loved cats and try to support feline rescue work in some small way. I would like to have one around but I am afraid that my depression would get worse. I can never forget having done that though and in many ways I feel terrible when that awful day comes to mind.

For years I spent a lot of time doing some really, REALLY crazy stuff and I have thought was I living like that in order to be killed? Some sort of desire to be punished maybe. I don't know. The important thing now is to try and stay alive to be able to do the right thing. I wish that folks understood that I harbour no hatred and that I just want to live a peaceful life. Perhaps maybe contribute to the betterment of the earth or just cultivate a little happiness in the hearts of those that seek the same.

To all of those that I have hurt or offended I am truly sorry. There are a half a dozen things that stand out as events that I regret. I always will regret those things no matter how trivial but I hope that I am forgiven. I sincerely hope dear reader that I still have some respect from you BUT to those that will pick apart the blog and use the content to develop new ways of hating and cultivating hatred, I wish you nothing but piss poor bad luck with it.

Day #142 - Whatever...

Back when I restarted this blog a few months back, it was to help assist me get some perspective and what way I responded to stuff. It has been helpful and I enjoy writing when I can. It was a sort of therapy to be able to describe things as they are. I am bipolar and that can be tough for others as well as the sufferer themselves. I have found myself lately very depressed because of continuing attacks on my van and not being able to earn properly, move around, get stuff done.

I have ordered some cctv gear and hope to get the house well camd up. Remote viewing will be a necessity along with regular uploads to the "cloud" (never really liked that term). Anyway with luck and some work things will start to take a better tack soon. I am fed up of sleeplessness, lack of appetite, general listlessness and occasional teariness.

A taxi driver that carried my Mother back from day care today wondered aloud/asked why I hadn't found myself some fine, well off woman (or something..) I was quite surprised by this question though it was just a friendly remark. It made me think of my history with the ladies. I have never been great "boyfriend" material. I have never been good at saying the right stuff because that is just game playing and I have a lot more respect for women than that. Then there is the general scruffiness that goes with being an old tech/guitar fiend/geek (LONG before the term was invented!) I have been married, as I have mentioned in a previous post and realise that she is far better off without me. I hope that she is happy. My depression made things tough for both of us. Not everyone's cup of tea.

Owing to all of the recent vandalism and a general sense of disarray I have been on a severe down. The two worst things about it are the sleeplessness and fatigue during the day. My appetite is also shot. I have no idea in any concrete way of who might be doing this stuff but I will find out and will seek the strongest penalties. The physical effects are worse than the financial ones.

In the ten or so days since I last posted I have been right in it and it has been shit. I prefer when people are at peace with themselves as well as others. I like to feel positive when writing and try in some way to write something that is worthwhile reading and not just an occasional moan. I don't like it when it feels like that.

I haven't done a THING with radio. A fortnight back I was conducting experiments with gusto and enthusiasm yet since the dog got back in I have just ignored it. I hope to get back to that with some renewed vigour when this passes. Hopefully a couple of cameras can bring me closer to normality and thus onward to productive work at peace, at home with my Mother. 

She gets a real buzz out of it - hearing foreign radio hams talking to eachother. When I was starting out I have to give my Mum most of the credit for sustaining my interest in electronics. It was her that ensured I could get my bulbs, batteries and switches to play with. In fact, even my Grandmother played an important role too. I remember her taking me on a 300 mile round-trip train journey to buy the necessary components for a radio I was building. I find it ironic that the plans for the radio were in a wonderful Ladybird book that she bought for me. The book was written by Rev G.C. Dobbs. Rev. Dobbs is the founder and chairman of the GQRP Club - dedicated to low power radio. I have been a member for a few years now and still get a wonderful surprise when the quarterly A5 sized journal drops through the letterbox. Radio has always meant a lot to me.

I sometimes do work on music tech stuff, mainly guitars which I been messing with for almost 30 years. Electronics for over 40. I am getting older now and my eyesight isn't what it once was but I do still intend to keep going with this fascinating hobby.

So, I guess that's it until the next time.. I do enjoy wring this because there ARE people that read it and if they get any kind of insight or entertainment (for want of a better word) then I am glad. I'm going to try and steer out of this with effective work. Better get started on the evening's comestibles.

Thanks for reading. Peace be with you.

Day #132 - Time to wise up!

I just can't blog. I feel sick and I am so tired. I have sat up during several nights trying to catch the person messing with my van and the wear is beginning to take its' toll. My neck and back are seized with a creak and I am going to the toilet far more frequently than I would like. My appetite is gone and I just feel so tired. I am going to try to sleep but it is difficult. I will write more when I get to feel better but at the moment I feel awful. I have been told  that time spent on recon is time seldom wasted yet I feel that I am solidly wasting my time. I feel like an idiot and I expect that I have earned that feeling. I just want to get all of this finished. I just want to be well again. It might be time to wise up.

Day #124 - The Way It Has To Be

WARNING - EXPLICIT CONTENT - NOT EASY READING FOR THE SENSITIVE - IF YOU ARE OF SUCH DISPOSITION - IT MIGHT BE BEST TO NAVIGATE AWAY NOW - I DO NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY SHOULD YOU READ ANY FURTHER - WARNING - DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE - THERE IS NO INTENTION TO SHOCK OR OFFEND










For years I was a member of a fan forum for the guitarist Shawn Lane. I hadn't really been a fan of Lane's but was a member of another forum and one of the chaps there suggested that I might want to check out the Lane forum. I was getting flamed a lot on the other site and being amongst such nice people was a breath of fresh air. I was quite unfamiliar with Lane's music and still am to a large extent and was "saving" his output for "some time in the future". Lane was renowned for his technical facility on guitar and keyboards/piano but some of his compositions are simply breathtaking. I would strongly suggest to any fan of instrumental rock music to check out some of his stuff - it isn't everyones' cup of tea obviously but the quality that I enjoy about it is the optimistic joy that it contains. Today I heard something for the first time that really blew me away. I will post a link to the youtube page at the end of this post.

Like I have mentioned in a few previous posts, I haven't been too well of late. I often have no idea as to when the depression will kick in hard and for the past fortnight it has been quite bad. It is rapid cycling at the moment. That can be the hardest part - the term "emotional roller-coaster" is a bit of an overused phrase but it describes a rapid cycling situation quite well. The thing that started all of this could be one of many events that occurred during my lifetime. When I was a small child I saw a man shot in the head at close range. I was only a child and it was during a bank robbery that took place in my hometown. I remember so much blood pooled around the victim and just a ring of people surrounding him unable to do anything - it was obvious that it was a fatal wound. The psychotherapist that I began to see in the early 1990's (now sadly RIP) suggested that this might be part of my difficulties. I have also seen plenty of other violent acts at close quarters and these too have no doubt had an effect. I was physically attacked and beaten - taken unawares well over ten years ago and that is certainly a factor. That kind of thing effected me so deeply because it was just plain WRONG. There is also the non-violent acts of pure disrespect that we all see in our lives and for me these are most sickening. Back when I was married my (ex)wife - a non-European - used to have a saying; "What is wrong be nice!" - for quite some time I thought that she was saying "What is wrong? Be nice!" but she really meant was; "What is wrong with being nice?" - we parted ways a long time back but I still hold many of her personal maxims quite dear. Our marriage ended mostly because I was unwell - more unwell than I realised and that just took its' toll. I often became depressed owing to the fact that I felt that I could do nothing right in spite of my best efforts. THEN I used to drink to feel better but it just didn't work. It was Orwell that said; "A man drinks because he feels himself a failure and then fails all the more because of it!" My three months abstinence was all about trying to gain some perspective on drinking but also to help me figure out why I was doing it. The self harm that I have often engaged in is perhaps too some kind of anaesthetic. I also consider it a sort of punishment for not being able to do anything right and "not being good enough". Whilst that might sound absurd it is completely reasonable to me. One must be careful with such activities - they are dangerous for ones own health. I am doing what I can to avoid it.

Many years ago I briefly used heroin - some of the musicians that I worked with were doing it and it seemed like EXACTLY the sort of dangerous madness that I would like. I never really liked it though - it made me really sleepy, less lucid and "itching like a man up a fuzzy tree" to quote the King. I found the people that I came into contact with to be dirty and of very loose morals. Some dangerous people for sure. I ended up using methadone for a while which I foolishly thought would be "better" but after overdosing on that I stopped cold turkey. The whole flirtation was only a brief one but it was dangerous and stupid. I think that I was punishing myself for not being good enough. I knew after that OD that I would have died quite soon had I continued using and the worst of it was how it had altered the quality of my life in a very short time. I was living in a real "shit pit" of a room and was selling my possessions on a daily basis to score. Stopping was not hard (though I was very sick for about a month) as I had seen what I might have become and that truly motivated me to call a halt. Some though have never had it so lucky and to this day I know of one of the most talented musicians I have ever met who just never came back. He may be dead by now, I don't know but I DO know that it destroyed him in a VERY short time. This man was a professional player that toured the world with big name acts but heroin ended his career. Permanently. He is only one of many sadly. I would warn anyone that has even the briefest dalliance with such substances that it IS a VERY foolish move. Please trust me on this - it IS truly terrible. I am getting quite sick just thinking about it. I have made this admission in order to make clear the danger of messing with ones' own LIFE but also to try and convey that low-self esteem can be a sneaky beast and should you be caught unawares it can destroy your defences.

One of the things that I have written about throughout this blog is what I term "Lobsters" these people could just as easily be called HATERS - a common term in the US. Some folks just cannot bear to see people get ahead. I know one individual that knows about my time using heroin and has been heard to remark that it was a pity that I stopped; implying that a slow and painful death would be something I deserved. It is remarks like these; the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" that can impede the progress and development of the person, particularly the sensitive person and ESPECIALLY those with low self esteem which, as I have already stated is part of the package when it comes to bipolar disorder. Insincerity is another thing that I dislike a great deal. There is an expression that I heard just a few years back about a chap that would "piss all over your back and then tell you it was raining". What is one to do with a person like that? What about the person that seeks to eclipse your victories no matter how small because they cannot bear to see you happy? I have a theory that they seek to cultivate misery in others so that a vacuum or lacuna manifests itself into which they can insert lies and thus further misery. It is sick, sad and perverted but such is the way of the lobster.

Let me clear about this. I am not demeaning the crustaceans at all. I like all sea creatures - except the pretty scary ones that just want to kill you or look like they would. That might be narrow minded however aesthetics do come into it a bit for me but, trivia aside - I chose the term lobster as it comes from a joke that I heard for the first time maybe ten years back. It describes the kind of person I am referring to perfectly. Not those that are into schadenfreude but those that actually feel better holding others back than trying to develop themselves. It is more of an allegory than a joke. I will write a short version of it here...

A man who is really into seafood and haute cuisine visits (insert country here) and decides to visit all the famous spots that are well known for their fish dishes. After touring extensively he ends up in (insert town here) and visits their famed local seafood eaterie. Having being seated by the M'aitre D or Patron, the man notices that there is a large glass fish tank filled with lobsters bubbling away in a corner. He also notices that there is no lid on the tank. He finds this somewhat unsettling and after a few minutes he calls over a waiter to enquire as to why there is no lid on the tank and expresses concern that he would be afraid that a lobster will escape and start crawling about. The waiter reassures the man that in the 20 years that he has worked at the restaurant he has never seen a lobster escape. The man is a little skeptical but he is once again reassured that these lobsters are caught in the coastal waters of (insert town here) and they just don't go crawling about out of their tank once they are put in there. "Why?" asks the man. The waiter replies; "Because if one of them tries to get out, the rest will just grab him and pull him back down again!"

I will do all that I can to avoid being pulled down and try my best to stay away from those that seek to cultivate misery in both myself and others. I have respect and support for all of those that do suffer from depression and those tormented by PTSD. Let them take at least some comfort in the fact that they have developed the condition owing to sensitivity to things for which they were not prepared. It is not their fault. Try to steer through it if you are such a soul. Do what you can. Like Winston Churchill said; "It is the courage to continue that counts!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lorwB98lb44

Thanks for reading this. Peace be with you.