Acting: Expressing Complex Emotions

In Casablanca, the character played by Ingrid Bergman unexpectedly encounters her ex-lover, played by Humphrey Bogart. I love what happens at one point in the sequence of scenes that follow. She uses a set of four different, progressive eye movements io express the emotional complexity of the situation, including love, which drives the plot of the movie from then on.

In The Hunger Games, the character played by Jennifer Lawrence employs a similar set of four eye movements to express a very different dry of emotions, including suspicion, as she processes something her "mentor" has said.

Where I am now I cannot access those movies, so I won't be more explicit until I can.

-30-

The Insomniac

1:30 am

Well, this sleeping medication isn't working. I did sleep two hours last night before taking the pill, but in the 1.5 hours since then I've been awake.

One problem is too many ideas swirl around in my brain as I try to go back to sleep. I've got a whopper tonight -- a new consulting company.

This one needs refinement but has the potential to be profitable.

There, I've posted to the blog. Now I'll try again.

2:30 am

Still awake and thinking, My idea has become so elaborate that it already involves dozens of people. Since I don't drink or do drugs, it is not fueled by artificial substances.

It's pure!

-30-

The Place.4

A nurse explained to me there are two groups treated here -- the short-termers like me who mainly need physical therapy -- and the long-termers like my roommate. We are mainly grouped by category two per room. So usually there are two short-termers or two long-termers.

I gather the Maginot Line is running through the middle of our room.

-30-

Rainy Sunday Dim Sum

My friend Roger visited me in this place and the rain poured down for a while as we talked business. That is one of my passions -- launching new businesses, strategy, revenue projections, market estimation, growth potential -- all the things I've been doing since the Internet went viral via the Web in 1995.

He also brought Dim Sum -- first time I've had in years and it was delicious.

I love the different ways people's brains work. Roger not only has one of the best business minds I know, he is also strong in technology, media, and politics. He has worked in major political campaigns in the past, so he is always insightful about subjects like the 2020 Presidential election.

All in all, a delightful visit.

***

It seems my kids, or some of them, question whether I can live independently yet. I don't blame them, given my recent history. But it is what I want. I also want to work again. Roger and I worked together at KQED. I miss the many relationships I had there. Maybe after six more months of recovery, I can set up a small consulting project.

-30-

The Place.3

My roommate grew up in Lousiana. He clearly is experienced in call & response.

In this place every day there are three or four people yelling out. Usually they are calling "Help!"

He usually responds to their calls. I can tell it is a combination of his tradition plus his empathy because on some level he knows this isn't church and that they are in pain.

I'm in a reflective phase of my life now. Got what I need and will be patient getting back to 100%.I'll get there.

-30-

The Place.2

Turns out having dementia doesn't mean you can't drive a wheelchair, And having 100% cognition doesn't mean you can. Some of these guys really zoom around while I twist and turn like a pretzel.

But whether you have dementia or not, everyone agrees the food sucks.

Its nice to be the youngest for a change. I'm only 72 while everyone else is approximately 100;

The nurses try to get everyone out of bed for breakfast but me. I'm already flying down the hall clocking jn at 0.0001 MPH.

Again to be clear (not exactly my intent) I am not making fun of the insane, just of the place. My kids are happy for me that I am happy here.

-30-

The Place

My adventures rhrough the American health care matrix continues. Don't ask why or how, but I/ve landed in a place where most people have severe dementia. I know this is not a joking matter but there IS something hilarious about this.

At first I was scared, I admit, but I soon realized everyone here is harmless and lovable. Well maybe not everyone. The screamers irritate me at night since I can't sleep.

I always knew this would happen. Being on Medicare is like magic.

Again, no one should misinterpret my comments as insensitive about mental illness. But the fact that every time they administer the cognition test I score 100% seems to puzzle everyone. (It doesn't hurt they ask the same questions every time. They should just skip the test and mark 100%.)

To be serious this is truly a sad place. I am doing more care-giving than care-receiving but these nurses are under-resourced. They need more resources! I'm apparently the only one with a working esophagus. Today I learned how to keep it that way.

Onward!

-30-