Sunday, April 5, 2009

Lord have mercy on all the addicted



There is an alcoholic couple on the 9th floor where I live who are starting to call constant attention to themselves with brawls. The police were called when the man threatened to kill the woman yesterday. She left last year for some time after beng accused of seriously trying to kill him, but after several months returned because she is too old and broken down to work and it would be impossible for her to get disability right now based on her alcoholism, so she just came on back to him as the place of last resort. Another younger alcoholic who lives near them is trying to get them evicted since now a trail leads to their door of spills, dog accidents, etc. They call everyone names who criticizes them. So it is a lovely area of our home to venture into.
When I find myself living among the dramas of the addicted I think well, alcoholism is not so much different than my own food addiction, which just has quieter results. When I wrote my play Blue I put the most troubled, creative and probably most briliant characters in my play I had had a long time associations with, which started with my father. I found almost every one of the alcoholics in this play to have been broken down as children, all what we call bisexuals, with therefore the most difficult sexual problems to handle in our society. I have Doc reading this play with me, another brilliant alcoholic who is the only one who is not a bisexual of the older men. My son Cal is a character in this play. Doc keeps reading hostility in his attitude toward me, which I kept telling him was not there. My son who ran the playwrights workshop was far too civilized to talk like that to anyone. I got so mad at Doc for misinterpreting my lines that I almost quit the reading, but I decided to let his reading be an example of working with an alcoholic who is gleeflully portraying alcoholics. I got mad at him for adding lines that suggest even my father and Uncle Deke are still drinking, after having died and gone to hell presumably. I tried to explain how he does not add to the play when he improvises too much, he just makes it seem more chaotic.
But since alcoholics are all I have to work with in this place, I will let this reading stand. And we can all see why no plays get produced if we have to depend on alcoholics. But we are a very addicted society in so many different ways, so to my mind, it behooves us all to try to be understanding of the others addictions.
My scolding did result in Doc being alittle more restrained as the play went along. I will be embedding Scene 3a in this entry as soon as it uploads.

4 comments:

Amrita said...

I like the cards you creat.Which program do you use?

You are very patient with Doc.

Some building you live in Gerry. To me its frightening. I live in the middle of nowhere it seems.

Hope Bob is not suffering and is comfortable and being well taken care of.Does he have family?

sober white women said...

I think we all have our addictions. I know that people in my family choose to drink. I smoke. Is there a lesser of the two evils?
You mentioned that you liked the top I was wearing in the pictures. I found that top at a yard sale! It is a true "mexican style" top. All of the decorations on it were hand done by someone. I love that top and so many people tell me that it is great and ask me where I got it. I have to laugh when I say "yardsale!"
Kelli

Connie said...

I'm amazed that doc sits still long enough to read with you.It gives him purpose and actually keeps that drink out of his hand for a time...((U sneaky))

kanyonland King 2.blogspot.com said...

That is quite the scene when the two alcoholic country boys come. I thought Bruce's (stage name?) lines funny about the Gov. and UFO...saying what we all suspect!
Doc is playing those boys very well.
What will they say to Blue?????


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