Saturday, November 6, 2010

Lifting Curses

When something bad happens, sometimes you can't help feeling you have rotten luck. It's probably crossed your mind if, say, you've ever missed your bus and it was raining so hard and you forgot your umbrella. Let alone if you've lost your job or your baby or your husband crashes into an Alp or some other tragedy occurs. Sometimes a string of trouble seems to follow, and it all feels connected. Sometimes it makes you feel alone, like an alien freak. Or like you're cursed.
(Note: Those feelings are not to be confused with rational thought, and do not call for any form of metholodolgical disputation.)

Writing, joking even halfheartedly or full-blown laughing about it can help 'take off the curse.'

That's been darting through my mind for the last five years - since I read Christopher Reeve's autobiography, Still Me - shortly after Oli's spill. Christopher Reeve was the iconic Superman movie star and became quadriplegic when he had a horseback riding accident.  

On his first major venture from the rehab center after his accident, propped in his new, hulking electric wheelchair and loaded with breathing equipment, Christopher Reeve went to a huge event where he would have to speak. Upon seeing him, people applauded, then fell silent. Who knows - they were frightened, embarrrassed, sad, awash with pity?

But the comedian Robin Williams was an old friend and joined Superman on stage. He started joking about the wheelchair, telling people to beware in case Reeve lost control of the wheelchair and popped a wheelie into the audience; joked that the breathing tube was a fashionable new kind of necktie. He lifted the curse, as Superman wrote, and people could exhale, laugh, talk, maybe ask questions. Phew. 

Blogging may be one way of dispelling our curse.

http://www.christopherreeve.org/

2 comments:

  1. Very touching post. Makes me ponder:
    Does luck really exist? Or can it be created by hard work, creative expression and smiling in the face of the enemy?
    Blogging it off?
    yours,
    Mrs Crocodile

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've been living with unfortunate events and heartbreaking loses
    for 50 yrs - I'm 50yrs old - just suffered another - this is so
    rare for this to happen - lose. Anyone person or animal that is GOOD AND loves me - is taken from me in some way - with the animals they usually die tragically no matter what I try to do to protect them. With people only twice had someone died - people usually like me and respect me or hate me and are jealous and want to desroy me - usually the later - Never wanted to acknowledge that something was off here, until this recent incident. I have a good sense of humor and usually laugh these events off - after a bit of tears - but it's not funny anymore and no one has any sane answers - cause they never had to walk or
    live in my shoes. Yeah, and I grew up as an orphan too - Parents died somewhat tragically, couldn't have parents either - but that never bothered me, not once I grew up - I was my own boss. But alas people will always attribute your personal feelings to that. Anyway before you give advise to laugh it off - just explain that no matter what the tragedy and how long it keeps happening in your life- just keep laughing it off.

    ReplyDelete