Seeking a discussion/information on drivers licenses.

[chknltl]

25. Jeff has his moments

I am told being Manic Depressive is hereditary. All four of us surviving brothers have this to varying degrees including Jeff. I have it second worst but I am following my doctors instructions quite carefully taking my Divalproic Acid meds twice daily. (It DOES help somewhat). I know Jeff has this too but like I said in earlier posts, Jeff refuses any meds for anything he may have saying that his sole malady is "telepathy".* Jeff has gone off in fits of rage, (no doubt manic phase), against my sister, (first caregiver) and lately against my brother Ron who is his current care giver. I am not sure if I could face such a tantrum without deep wounds even though I 'get it' from whence such a rage stems.

I am more recent on the scene, I am woefully ill-equipped to be more than an assistant to my brother Ron in this. I report all of my interactions with Jeff to Ron and we strategize various plans to help Jeff with his needs as well as his perceived needs. (Jeff really doesn't need food yet Ron let's me take Jeff twice a month to the local food bank because it makes Jeff happy for instance). Our biggest fear is that Jeff will just wander off, my job is to be the 'good cop' and sniff out any such intentions Jeff may have before he acts on them.

By and large Jeff is harmless but if you don't know about him he appears pretty strange. He wears a plethora of 'gadgets' on his body, around his ankles, his waist and his neck. For the most part he keeps these covered up but even the most unobservant would notice the distinct 'bulges'. These gadgets are mostly conglomerations of sticks and rocks; empty butane lighters; smoke detectors; batteries; bits of wire; rubber bands; small mirrors and an assortment of other small what-nots. Personally I worry about the day when some local Republican thinks to do Homeland Security a favor by mistakenly taking out a bomb toting (but clean shaven), terrorist! (No, Jeff wears no bombs, the lighters he uses only include the colored plastic bits, the butane and metal tops he removed earlier as being useless to him).

You spoke about your need to have those conversations with a college professor. Perhaps I may be going through something similar. Decades ago I received a BA in Cultural Anthropology. So far while talking with Jeff, I have treated the stories from his alter ego "All Of Space" as if they were a science fiction novel. Odd as this will sound, Jeff has painted an entire culture in our discussions, one that I am beginning to map out a bit. Jeff loves the fact that I am the first person in "140 million years" to pay attention. It makes Jeff happy...on that level what more needs saying but I lately wonder if a student of cultural anthropology or maybe even a science fiction novel writer could do well to interview Jeff. Who knows, what's to say that there really aren't two sentient life-forces inhabiting Jeff's body....or maybe spending time with Jeff is rubbing off on me...(note to self: bring this up with my own shrink this Friday!)

*It just dawned on me that I may have an 'in' to Jeff through one of his perceived needs and I have you to thank for it! Jeff expects to emulate me in that I received a 100% disability pension, service connected. Jeff believes he deserves one too but for the Scarlet Fever he had while in the Navy. If as Jeff puts it, his ONLY problem is 'telepathy' then there is no way for him to get that desired 'pension' because there are no records of him 'contracting telepathy' while in the Navy! I should only have to make him understand how the government won't let him have it both ways! I'll bounce this notion off of Ron to see what he thinks, bounce it off of my own shrink too. Thanks...(well I did think it up while responding to you just now, I'll not be taking all the credit!)