Heptadecagon

He calls her more often now, asking to come for a visit. To stay for a few days and then go home. For years, she's been trying to get him--them, really--to visit for a weekend. To see their granddaughter and spend time with the girl before she's grown, or they're gone. "Time flies," she says to them. "We have so many things to do," they reply. Now, time has flown but times have also changed. And instead of being too busy to drive the hour to go see her and the girl, he realizes the potential that sits 66 miles to the east. He sees her for what she is at this moment: an escape from the monotony of his life. For if he goes to see them, he can be lifted from a life chock full of the same stories over and over, from the never ending chase against time. If we visit, he thinks, someone else can do the cooking. If we visit, he thinks, someone else can talk to my wife. If we visit, he thinks, I can hold a conversation with a lucid adult. If we visit, I d...

I'm not a Twitter fiend, but I'm trying my best to get the hang of that form of social media. So when I read something I like, I consider tweeting it, or at least re-tweeting a tidbit that someone else has posted. Yesterday, I found (via Facebook) a link to The Good Men Project , as well as an article they had posted on their website entitled, " 50 Sufferers Describe Depression for People Who've Never Been Depressed ." In light of Robin Williams' passing on August 11, depression has been very much in the forefront of our minds. But one of the common themes I've heard is that many people had no idea Robin Williams was depressed. He'd taken his role of acting to the extreme, and did a very good job of covering up the fact that he had such a debilitating illness. That should be no surprise, really. Who wants to admit that they are depressed? If you haven't read the article, I encourage you to do so. It's a simple list of what depression feels li...