High Anxiety

"You little fool..." -My Mother's words to me on many occasions.

I seem to be the only nut case blogging on this holiday weekend. So what's my deal? It is hot out, I'm on vacation and I'm avoiding repairing a statue for a client, or finishing a painting, along with mowing the lawn and painting the trim on my house. And I feel guilty - High Anxiety! (Which, by the way, I finally found the video. I watched it and it just isn't as funny as I remembered it - although still enjoyable. The characters are so great and the parody on Hitchcock films is wonderful. I owe many of my lines at work to this film - "These are desperately sick people we're dealing with here!" when defending my crew from criticism. Or, "I assure you, my father is just as sane as I am!" when my management style is questioned.)

Speaking of crazy people, today is the feast of St. Simon Salus, a fool for Christ, if I remember correctly, 'salus' means fool. Here's a quick synopsis of his life from today's "Magnificat":

"St. Simon took up a penitential life in the solitude of the desert near the Dead Sea. After spending twenty nine years thus, he returned to his native city of Emesa, Syria. Simeon imposed upon himself the very humiliating penance of deliberately making himself appear foolish and ridiculous to others, so as to crush his own pride. He was favored by God with extraordinary graces and wrought miracles by his prayers." Works for me! Although I'm still not humble and I have never wrought a miracle, except maybe not getting fired from my job.

Speaking of fools and work. Where I work I come across some very different people, who often remind me of "holy fools". Some of them I really believe are very holy. One man in particular, claims to have revelations from God the Father. Since I've worked there he has repeated to me every year, "This is the year of the chastisement." I like him very much however. He blesses us with holy oils he gets from shrines and prays over us. One notices a sense of peace after each encounter. (Although my assistant can't stand it when he visits the Store.) He's in his 60's I'd say and he has a great white beard and long hair suggesting older images of God the Father, or an "yurodyvi" the Russian word for ascetics who follow the path of foolishness for Christ. He never says anything contrary to the faith - he's just convinced of the messages he receives - which are secrets.

Then there is this other guy. He's scary. he comes in ranting and raving about the bad images we sell - Our Lady talks to him - she's now telling him that her image of Guadalupe is evil and is idolatrous. He talks and talks and talks. He told one co-worker that he should leave our company or else his children will die in his arms. He says the place is evil and will be destroyed. He's told customers they are going to hell. Pretty nuts. I'm going to bar him from the Store if he keeps it up. In his regard I think he is definitely delusional and "desperately ill'. (If I'm found murdered at work he may have committed the crime! So remember this post!)

All in all, I like people with mental illness. I have tremendous compassion for them, probably because my mother was rather neurotic and depressed. I pray for people with mental illness, they are a precious gift for humanity, and their sufferings are a special blessing of Christ's cross. They can also be fun.

My advice for the holiday weekend, "EAT FRESH!" (As Jon Lovitz for Subway says. He's another little fool I love!)