Quote of The Day

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Sunday Scribblings and Canada Day!

Today is Canada Day big Celebrations will be enjoyed!

A prouder Canadian, I could not be

I wave the flag, in front of me
A liberal land, freely diverse
Varied languages to converse
Countless cultures of every race
Amicably exist in once place

Written by Happytiler




My vision has changed over the years. Thankfully I waste less time on petty annoyances. Now I have a mission. To speak of issues rarely touched. Mental illness is still not addressed as a prevalent societal problem. Articles written usually feature the most derelict schizophrenic, bipolar or psychopath. Yet they are covertly filtered into our everyday life.

It came to light again when a local male went missing; his frantic parents suffered horrifically while the young man manically caught a plane to Mexico without notifying a soul. There was a huge search which included police. The community feels duped now that he has returned after needing his fathers’ assistance to fund the trip home!

Comments left on a newspaper article were extremely judgmental, calling him selfish, childish, thoughtless and much more. I was sad that very few recognized a possible mental illness to be the culprit fueling this deranged action. Possibly depression or a breakdown!

So often families are exposed to these ongoing dramas with little to no empathy from society! Instead the perpetrator is criticized leaving the families on the defense feeling a need to protect their relative. It’s complex, hard to understand yet the mainstream is still vague on the logistics of living with someone mentally ill.

Intruder

He was quiet, loved deeply

So I thought,

On occasion he would cry

About his childhood

Days off we sipped coffee

Seated on the chesterfield

Watching the birds flit

To the food in our feeder

We chatted of future dreams

Building a greenhouse

He taught me to ignore the bugs

And plant the flowers

We gardened together

We sat on our pristine deck

Barbequed breakfast

Pots of marigolds

like tiny oranges

Bloomed in droves

For a moment

It was our glorious

Sanctuary

Then one day

While sipping coffee

Watching the birds

We spotted a rat

Below the tree

Feasting on seeds

We removed the feeder

Knowing

It would never

Be the same again.

10 comments:

gma said...

Happy Canada Day!!!!

People do not understand mental illness. Why must it always be someones "fault"?

The idea of BBQing bkfst sounds great! Bacon on the grill yea!!!

Maybe the birdfeeder could go out on a further limb. Damned rat!

Tammy Brierly said...

Happy Canada Day sweetie!

My last was post is for a blog friend who just found out she has cancer. Two months ago her 30yr old bi-polar son killed himself. She is only 51 and single. So tragic! Mental illness is misunderstood.

Rats!

HUGS

Mary Timme said...

As one who has been clinically depressed, I can say it isn't fun to not be who you know you are . . .usually. How sad for the young man and his parents. Heartbreaking really!

I love Canada too! I know, not many Americans say that. But, it true for me. I've had a lot of Canadian friends over the years. Each one was special.

Barbara said...

Thanks for visiting my blog and revealing your identity - glad to know you.

Thought-provoking prose on mental illness. In an ideal world (and shouldn't we all be working towards that?!) early education on the subject would take some of the sting and stigma away and perhaps compassion and tolerance rather than scorn and harsh judgments would result.

Hope you find a way to enjoy your bird feeder again.

Cheers!

Tammie Lee said...

Happy Canada Day! I love Canada too!

Your tale is touching and tender. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the lovely comments on my blog...I truly appreciate them. Also, I loved the Inside Out quote you have with your brother...brothers are like that!! LOL
artfully Yours
Pattei

Unknown said...

THis was great. The sad thing about mental illness is that mostly everyone will have some m-i problem in the their lifetime and 1 in 5 will have something serious. We have so much stigma that many people do not get help. Happy Canada Day!

Janet said...

I'm a day late but Happy Canada Day!

They call it mental "illness" but we treat it like something else. No one would think of treating a heart patient or someone with cancer in the terrible way we treat people with mental illnesses. Why is a problem with the brain any different than a problem with the heart or the lung or the leg?

DMG said...

For 25 years I've taught children and teens with mental illnesses and learning problems. It is heartbreaking to watch the pain they and their families experience and the lack of sensitivity with which they are often treated. Thank you for being an advocate. Many more are needed!

Lucy said...

Happy Canada day Sherrie! loved both poems and your so right about mental illness. Why even insurance companies don't recognize how necessary it is to cover MENTAL health to insure a persons Physical health. I never understood why we can't have coverage for a psychologist?
We haven't even BEGUN to truly be an enlightened society, have we Sher?

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