Our madman sits in the metro car, with three empty seats around him, and when the secretary tries to sit down, he yells most agressive things and she quickly backs away, angry and shocked and upset. Very upset. You cannot yell back at these people because you have to be cautious
around them. So you stay with your anger. You either let it eat up your stomach or you forget about it. Get it out of your head.
In order to do so, the secretary turns to her sketchbook. But she doesn't dare to sketch this man right there cause he goes on ranting and yelling, trying to catch people's eyes to mob them. Okay, so she does it at home. The interesting thing is, that the man turns out much older than the model.
The secretary sketches an angry Miss Doodle too. Talk about action and reaction.
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16 comments:
gosh... those eyes... so fierce...
yes seems Miss Doodle is putting on her boxing gloves...
:)
and wise secretary finds the best way... venting the anger through art... art is really a solace... in any form....
What an experience!
I agree with Human Being, Miss Doodle is ready to do battle for you. :)
When things like this happen to me, I find it difficult to shed the experience. I can rationalize all I want to rationalize, but that doesn't change things inside of me. I can tell myself it has nothing to do with me, personally, but that means nothing when you have been yelled at like that! And on the Metro...how do you get this man help? or those other riders help?
I am so glad your secretary had her sketchbook...the best therapy after an experience like that!
Sorry you have had such an experience.
Miss Doodle, I once worked for the department of mental health and went out of crisis calls to people like this. Well, in a way they were luckier as they were about to get "help" to the best of the state's ability. Very scary and Miss Doodle's secretary did the best thing. Back away. And using art to work out the feelings and fears around meeting someone who is so disturbed is wonderful.
I agree with Kim, it is hard to shed such experiences as they are so frightening. when I worked the above job, I would protect myself with an invisible shield before I went to work. This is really how I found a) yoga to help with the stress and b) visualization and alternative healing modalities. Probably once i started those two things i realized for my own health i needed to find another job and I did.
How Scary. I agree with Kim, HB & Suki. I too couldnt put it out of my head and Art is a wonderful thing isnt it?
Hi Miss Doodle... was thinking about your observations on the madman for a bit... I'm not saying that you were wrong to feel the way you do... but there's something to a madman that begs the question... how does one get to be such... there's a short book by Kahil Gibran (my favorite author) called the Madman... and here's an excerpt from it:
You ask me how I became a madman. It happened thus: One day, long
before many gods were born, I woke from a deep sleep and found all
my masks were stolen,--the seven masks I have fashioned an worn in
seven lives,--I ran maskless through the crowded streets shouting,
"Thieves, thieves, the cursed thieves."
Men and women laughed at me and some ran to their houses in fear
of me.
And when I reached the market place, a youth standing on a house-top
cried, "He is a madman." I looked up to behold him; the sun kissed
my own naked face for the first time. For the first time the sun
kissed my own naked face and my soul was inflamed with love for
the sun, and I wanted my masks no more. And as if in a trance I
cried, "Blessed, blessed are the thieves who stole my masks."
Thus I became a madman.
And I have found both freedom of loneliness and the safety from
being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in
us.
But let me not be too proud of my safety. Even a Thief in a jail
is safe from another thief.
Human Being, oh you are so right, art is really a solace, it is quite a healing thing, in any form.
Kim, you are right, it sure IS difficult to shed this experience. You know what I did, I took out my sketchbook after a moment, and then sketched the man you can see on my blog today (wednesday) the one reading and with the serene expression. I found that this was the most calming thing I could do and as I sketched away, I almost forgot about the guy who was still sitting there, trying to catch peoples eyes. I managed to completely ignore him and concentrate on the task on hand...:)
One does not always have the opportunity to do so, but when you have it, I mean evacuate via concentrating on something very hard, it is a relief:)
This guy scares me. You be careful, Miss Doodle.
Suki, this must have been a strenious experience, because if you are not a person who is "mad" for this kind of helpgiving, then it must be bad for your own health, I understand that so very well.
I wonder weather there are people who can handle this kind of disturbed person with ease, but there must be, or else they would never get help. I admire theM.
Cris, well, in a way I didn't get him out of my head but tried to transform the incident into something else, by drawing it and then be able to communicate about it here, with you !
Hoppper, thank you so much for your precious comment. I have one book of Khalil Gibran on my bookshelf, with the "Prophet poems" and I don't remember them very well, only that I loved them.
Thanks for taking the time and writing this story about the madman!
I have thought of the man. Or better the man's madness. You know, he was a young man, could have been your age, (at least the age I imagine you with:) I don't know why he turned out rather old in my drawing, perhaps my bad feelings about him.
In my post I only describe my personal reaction and do not try to put myself in his shoes, like I do it with the Metroheads. He made himself somehow "tabou" with his agressivity. Has someone stolen his mask too? I think so , because even if I feel like yelling at people, I don't, cause I keep that mask.
Thanks so much for this "in his shoes" comment and the poetic approach to madness.
Paula: we will be careful, always:)thanks for visiting and enjoying Miss Doodle's adventures:)
Make ure Miss Doodle has a can of hair spray with her as that will help by giving one spray in his face and she could get away from him.
Jill
Heee a metrohead at Miss Doodle!
Two worlds colliding............
Here on the island we have one, but in other countries I meet a lot of these poor creatures......screaming threatening . And what do I do, try to avoid them. In Toronto I was once nearly hit by one. Scary, but sad also.
How scarey for dear Ms Doodle and her secretary to meet up with the likes of this brute or crazy person or both on the metro.
I hope she was able to rid herself of his energy by drawing and painting him. He does look like he is off his meds and quite crazy...must be hearing terrible voices in his poor head.
Looks like Pablo Neruda, the poet :)
http://images.google.com.mx/images?hl=es&q=pablo%20neruda&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
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