Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
The Dungeon
According to the Canadian Institute of Health Research, 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a form of mental illness at some point in their lives. Personally I am challenged by bouts of depression; I believe they are, on balance, fairly mild and mostly manageable, though I have sought counselling on occasion also. Depression is a topic that I cannot cover in-depth in this space, but I can share my own experiences with it - stories like this can only serve as a memoir, not an educational treatment... every person’s depression is different.
Every once in awhile, the King found himself in a dungeon. This had been occurring well before the birth of the Lightning Kid. It had occurred before the birth of Shark Boy, before his marriage to the Queen, before he’d ever met her. He was often asked why he was in the dungeon - how can a King be in a dungeon? What put him there? Was it a giant monster? Some enemy?
Being asked this frustrated the King - he didn’t have a real answer, and he doubted having one would do anything to help him get out of the dungeon itself. Fresh air and exercise seemed to help him stay out of the dungeon, but once he was in, those sorts of things became harder to do, and he found himself almost unwilling to leave if he could.
The most recent time he was in the dungeon, he started to try to drag himself out, he looked down to see if he could spy what manner of creature could be holding him back. At first he saw nothing, but as he looked closer, he noticed there wasn't any monster... at least not just one. There was a tiny gremlin - 'the things you haven't fixed'. Then he saw another - 'what makes your job difficult' and another 'lack of sleep'. 'Self-doubt', 'Missed deadlines', 'what have you forgotten?', 'Fear of the Lightning Kid's Future', 'Fear of Shark Boy's Future', 'Health scares in the family'... so many of them clung to his robes. Any one of them, or even in pairs or groups of threes could never have overpowered him... but they were co-operating and pulling in concert, and as such the King was unable to fight them off. Escaping from a hold, however, is more a matter of wriggling than of brute strength. And so, a few at a time, he escaped the gremilins... most temporarily, some by distraction, some by out-maneuvering, some by ruthless aggression.
Today he would escape the dungeon, but he knew he could end up back in it. The man who had freed him was the same man who had imprisoned him - his own self.
Every once in awhile, the King found himself in a dungeon. This had been occurring well before the birth of the Lightning Kid. It had occurred before the birth of Shark Boy, before his marriage to the Queen, before he’d ever met her. He was often asked why he was in the dungeon - how can a King be in a dungeon? What put him there? Was it a giant monster? Some enemy?
Being asked this frustrated the King - he didn’t have a real answer, and he doubted having one would do anything to help him get out of the dungeon itself. Fresh air and exercise seemed to help him stay out of the dungeon, but once he was in, those sorts of things became harder to do, and he found himself almost unwilling to leave if he could.
The most recent time he was in the dungeon, he started to try to drag himself out, he looked down to see if he could spy what manner of creature could be holding him back. At first he saw nothing, but as he looked closer, he noticed there wasn't any monster... at least not just one. There was a tiny gremlin - 'the things you haven't fixed'. Then he saw another - 'what makes your job difficult' and another 'lack of sleep'. 'Self-doubt', 'Missed deadlines', 'what have you forgotten?', 'Fear of the Lightning Kid's Future', 'Fear of Shark Boy's Future', 'Health scares in the family'... so many of them clung to his robes. Any one of them, or even in pairs or groups of threes could never have overpowered him... but they were co-operating and pulling in concert, and as such the King was unable to fight them off. Escaping from a hold, however, is more a matter of wriggling than of brute strength. And so, a few at a time, he escaped the gremilins... most temporarily, some by distraction, some by out-maneuvering, some by ruthless aggression.
Today he would escape the dungeon, but he knew he could end up back in it. The man who had freed him was the same man who had imprisoned him - his own self.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Lightning No More?
The Lightning Kid had once had his hair cut by his own grandmother... it was essentially a bowl cut. While some found this more objectionable than others, the King and Queen were willing to tolerate it ... for a while. Still, the hair continued to grow (as hair is prone to doing), and the Queen was becoming decreasingly tolerant of those who referred to the Lightning Kid as a princess rather than a prince upon first laying eyes upon him.
So she took him to the business that had done a good job of Shark Boy's first haircuts... and so the Lightning Kid turned from a baby, to a handsome looking little boy!
It was a bittersweet moment for the King and Queen; they were pleased with how good he looked, but the idea of him not being a baby anymore was saddening. Then a greater worry occurred to them: without long hair standing on end, would he still have his Lightning?
Later that day, the Queen took him to a private chamber for nursing, and rather than settle down for the feeding, the young prince would not stop looking around and trying to interact with the other children. Pretty soon, none of the mothers were able to peacefully feed their children and were forced to leave because the children all wanted to watch the Lightning Kid. It seemed like the Lightning Kid hadn't lost his thunder!
So she took him to the business that had done a good job of Shark Boy's first haircuts... and so the Lightning Kid turned from a baby, to a handsome looking little boy!
It was a bittersweet moment for the King and Queen; they were pleased with how good he looked, but the idea of him not being a baby anymore was saddening. Then a greater worry occurred to them: without long hair standing on end, would he still have his Lightning?
Later that day, the Queen took him to a private chamber for nursing, and rather than settle down for the feeding, the young prince would not stop looking around and trying to interact with the other children. Pretty soon, none of the mothers were able to peacefully feed their children and were forced to leave because the children all wanted to watch the Lightning Kid. It seemed like the Lightning Kid hadn't lost his thunder!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
The Test
It was true throughout the Kingdom that people liked to avoid having problems. It was also true that people wanted to have children, and children could cause enough problems to frustrate even the most patient. When people thought of children like the Lightning Kid, many thought they would have simply too many problems or problems that were too great, and so they sought to use tests to avoid having children like him.
Earlier tests were not as popular, since they were somewhat dangerous put the child at (a slight) risk, regardless of the result of the outcome. When better, less risky tests were invented, many rejoiced at the opportunity to make reasoned, informed decisions, and the test (as near as anyone was willing to discuss it) was considered to be 99% accurate. The King was himself a big advocate of reason and information, so he sought to make a little demonstration at court.
Once the court was gathered, he had his servants bring out a display of shells.
"Each of these shells, represent an instance of a test to determine whether a child will be born with the same condition as your Prince, The Lightning Kid. There are 100 of them, and one of them is false - the result is incorrect. Any decisions made based on that one test will be misinformed."
The King turned to the other side of the room, and waved in servants with more shells.
"These shells represent births. There are 529 of them and one of them is a child with the same condition as the Lightning Kid. I've read that the chance of having such a child is as high as 1 in 300, and as low as 1 in 700, so I've picked a number somewhere in between. If every one of these births had been tested, there would have been at least 5 incorrect results.
While a child like the Lightning Kid will almost definitely have trouble learning and understanding more difficult concepts, problems with the heart, with growth, with digestion and the rest are all only possibilities. And these same problems can crop up in other children - those that would pass these tests that are being celebrated."
He paused, and made sure that he had the audience's undivided attention.
"Let me be clear: if you expect your child to be perfect, if you aren't prepared to deal with at least some health issues, big or small, short or long-term - then you are not prepared to have children. Perhaps that would be a better test."
Earlier tests were not as popular, since they were somewhat dangerous put the child at (a slight) risk, regardless of the result of the outcome. When better, less risky tests were invented, many rejoiced at the opportunity to make reasoned, informed decisions, and the test (as near as anyone was willing to discuss it) was considered to be 99% accurate. The King was himself a big advocate of reason and information, so he sought to make a little demonstration at court.
Once the court was gathered, he had his servants bring out a display of shells.
"Each of these shells, represent an instance of a test to determine whether a child will be born with the same condition as your Prince, The Lightning Kid. There are 100 of them, and one of them is false - the result is incorrect. Any decisions made based on that one test will be misinformed."
The King turned to the other side of the room, and waved in servants with more shells.
"These shells represent births. There are 529 of them and one of them is a child with the same condition as the Lightning Kid. I've read that the chance of having such a child is as high as 1 in 300, and as low as 1 in 700, so I've picked a number somewhere in between. If every one of these births had been tested, there would have been at least 5 incorrect results.
While a child like the Lightning Kid will almost definitely have trouble learning and understanding more difficult concepts, problems with the heart, with growth, with digestion and the rest are all only possibilities. And these same problems can crop up in other children - those that would pass these tests that are being celebrated."
He paused, and made sure that he had the audience's undivided attention.
"Let me be clear: if you expect your child to be perfect, if you aren't prepared to deal with at least some health issues, big or small, short or long-term - then you are not prepared to have children. Perhaps that would be a better test."
Friday, February 1, 2013
Darker Days
In the depth of winter, days had begun to turn dark. The Lightning Kid found himself in constant battles with the Boobless Wonder, and their clashes had been epic and brutal. The young Prince had managed to draw blood on the beast through pinching, biting and scratching, yet it would never go away for long.
In order to be able to stand guard against the Boobless Wonder, the Lightning Kid figured the best strategy would be to avoid sleeping at all costs. He went on a strike from naps almost entirely, and fought against falling asleep at night... who knows what the Boobless Wonder could get up to while he rested?
Losing this much sleep meant, of course, falling victim to a cold or two that were very fashionable around this time of year. The Lightning Kid and his brother Shark Boy co-operated through their illnesses to keep the castle from being quiet during the night; besides the Boobless Wonder, who knew what other creatures might relish a peaceful, quiet environment in the castle...
The brothers found the King and Queen to be of little help; they seemed to be tired (and irritable much of the time). In fact, they seemed to be openly plotting to find ways to get the boys to sleep more! The days had turned dark indeed...
The brothers found the King and Queen to be of little help; they seemed to be tired (and irritable much of the time). In fact, they seemed to be openly plotting to find ways to get the boys to sleep more! The days had turned dark indeed...
The King and Queen took the Lightning Kid to find out what the results of a test on his heart were. More of the same - no great flaws found, yet not perfect, and it would need to be looked at again. By contrast, a different test revealed that the Tiny Titans had been hard at work... The Lightning Kid's hearing was perfect now! Even when the days are dark, there is light to be found.
Monday, January 14, 2013
The Lightning Kid and the Stench Beast
The Royal Family had always lived with a magical beast known formerly for his vile stench, and more currently for his attraction to other vile stenches. They kept him around for... actually, it's not very well understood why they kept him around.
He had been part of the Queen's life from the time the King had first started courting her, and simply remained something to be put up with. A Castle wasn't a home without a magical beast of one kind or another, some might say. As the beast's bad behaviours like shedding its fur, sharpening its claws, stealing food, sitting where he wasn't wanted and even leaving smelly 'gifts' around the castle whittled away their patience, the King and Queen (though especially the King) became increasingly vexed with him.
They did, however, discover one particular notable gift the beast had - he was wonderful with small children. While he had been terrorized and chased by visiting children in the past, he always tolerated whatever the two princes could dish out, and at worst, he would simply run and hide when he'd had enough. Dragons and Ogres could pose quite a threat to children that misbehaved, but the Stench Beast always put up with various transgressions; transgressions that will not be described here, but are on a par with what you'd imagine a Shark Boy and a Lightning Kid could do at their worst.
With the Lightning Kid's increasing mobility, the Stench Beast seemed almost inured to the fear of the boys. He was almost coy in his retreats, seeming to say: "Oh, I've escaped from you to the safety of... a spot merely three feet away from where you last threatened me."
It was the King's suspicion that the love the Stench Beast bore for the Queen had come to extend to her offspring, and his tolerance of their semi-violent ministrations was his way of expressing it.
It was the Stench Beast's opinion, that the King was mostly alright, as humans tended to go...
He had been part of the Queen's life from the time the King had first started courting her, and simply remained something to be put up with. A Castle wasn't a home without a magical beast of one kind or another, some might say. As the beast's bad behaviours like shedding its fur, sharpening its claws, stealing food, sitting where he wasn't wanted and even leaving smelly 'gifts' around the castle whittled away their patience, the King and Queen (though especially the King) became increasingly vexed with him.
They did, however, discover one particular notable gift the beast had - he was wonderful with small children. While he had been terrorized and chased by visiting children in the past, he always tolerated whatever the two princes could dish out, and at worst, he would simply run and hide when he'd had enough. Dragons and Ogres could pose quite a threat to children that misbehaved, but the Stench Beast always put up with various transgressions; transgressions that will not be described here, but are on a par with what you'd imagine a Shark Boy and a Lightning Kid could do at their worst.
With the Lightning Kid's increasing mobility, the Stench Beast seemed almost inured to the fear of the boys. He was almost coy in his retreats, seeming to say: "Oh, I've escaped from you to the safety of... a spot merely three feet away from where you last threatened me."
It was the King's suspicion that the love the Stench Beast bore for the Queen had come to extend to her offspring, and his tolerance of their semi-violent ministrations was his way of expressing it.
It was the Stench Beast's opinion, that the King was mostly alright, as humans tended to go...
Friday, January 11, 2013
The Lightning Kid’s Frenzy
The King was beginning to suspect that there was a good deal of Lightning in Shark Boy and a good deal of Shark in the Lightning Kid. The former often had hair that stood up and spoke fondly of a certain kind of lightning while the latter had taken up the unfortunate habit of biting his parents... with sharp, shark-like teeth.
There was another shark-like behaviour, though: constant movement. Especially in attempting to stand independently. The King had watched in amazement as the Lightning Kid tried to push himself into a stand without touching walls or furniture. From a hands-and-knees crawl, he would put his feet on the floor, and from the bent over position, he would straighten up, hands held aloft in a sign of victory... till he flopped over onto his bottom anywhere from one to six or seven seconds later. He could do this over and over again, with a ferocity and intensity that could only be described as frenzied. The little prince was a boy who wanted to stand. He wanted to walk. He wanted to move.
The Queen had been diligent in directing this energy into important development. By standing the Lightning Kid up against one piece of furniture and placing an object he wanted on another, he could be enticed into walking briefly between the two, without holding onto anything else. Various toys, books, and even socks could be used, but none was so enticing as another Shark Boy favourite: the goldfish.
There was another shark-like behaviour, though: constant movement. Especially in attempting to stand independently. The King had watched in amazement as the Lightning Kid tried to push himself into a stand without touching walls or furniture. From a hands-and-knees crawl, he would put his feet on the floor, and from the bent over position, he would straighten up, hands held aloft in a sign of victory... till he flopped over onto his bottom anywhere from one to six or seven seconds later. He could do this over and over again, with a ferocity and intensity that could only be described as frenzied. The little prince was a boy who wanted to stand. He wanted to walk. He wanted to move.
The Queen had been diligent in directing this energy into important development. By standing the Lightning Kid up against one piece of furniture and placing an object he wanted on another, he could be enticed into walking briefly between the two, without holding onto anything else. Various toys, books, and even socks could be used, but none was so enticing as another Shark Boy favourite: the goldfish.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)