an encounter with madness

people should come with warning signs

do you think it's possible to tell whether someone is mentally ill just by talking to them on the telephone? i wouldn't have said so before today. but i experienced a telephone call with someone who was completely unbalanced - like in serious need of meds unbalanced. it became readily apparent rather quickly, but was like a big, flashing light of mentalness after she hung up on me when i asked to speak to her boss and then called me back 15 minutes later and calmly (and apparently seriously) accused me of hanging up on her and then proceeded to go mental on me again in all her glory. i mean like the kind of spouting incomprehensible statements in a shouty voice mental.

it's actually a really unnerving experience. i have to admit i was very shaken by it. and am still in a kind of state of shock hours later. i actually think she is dangerously, clinically psychotic. i'm actually grateful the conversation took place on the telephone and not in person. even on the telephone, i think i ended up a little bit scared.  even now, just writing about it, i get a shiver down my spine.

it was the kind of conversation that made me go out and check the bunnies when i got home, just to be sure she hadn't come by and pulled a glenn close. it was that bad. and i am more than a little afraid she knows where i live.

i think that somewhere at the base of us, our very instincts sense and fear someone who is truly off balance. i'm not sure i've experienced it so strongly before. and i can tell you that i hope never to experience it again.

the shadows of my mind

at bedtime last night, we were laying in bed and sabin spotted these shadows on the wall:

at first, we giggled about how the little beaded monkeybiz cow from cape town cast a clear shadow of his (her?) horns. but then, with husband away all week, our imaginations kicked in. we felt a little alone in the big, quiet house. and the shadows took on a bit more of a menacing edge. sabin said, "is that a monster right below the cow shadow?"

"and is it holding an axe?" and suddenly, it felt like we'd stepped into a hitchcock film. that WAS a monster and he was DEFINITELY holding an axe and he was RIGHT THERE in the room WITH US!!

we huddled under the covers, trying to giggle about it, but actually feeling a bit freaked out. the fear was only broken by my jumping up to get the camera and take a few pictures of it. and we reminded ourselves that those shadows must be there every night and we'd only just noticed them right then.

oh the things you can think when you're all alone in the house.