The Funny Side of Schizophrenia

I spent most of my birthday morning with Rosa. She gave me a new wallet from the dollar store as she had noticed the other day that my old one of many years was growing threadbare. It probably was the most thoughtful gift of this year’s birthday even though it probably only cost a couple of bucks. I gave her a hug and thanked her as I unwrapped the gift, realizing what it was. It even has a compartment to hold a spare house key and car key which will come in handy as I inherited the dreaded key disease from my father and lose my keys easily.

Rosa also got to see one of the side effects of my schizophrenia today as well. Our conversation went as follows…

“What’s so funny?” she asked me as we were walking through downtown heading for home after eating lunch at Rodger’s.

“It’s my schizophrenia,” I replied. “One of my medications or either my mental illness makes me feel giddy at intervals and I will smile and laugh uncontrollably.”

Rosa grinned broadly at this interesting turn of events.

“Well, if you’ve got to have side effects, then laughing and smiling would be a good one to have,” Rosa said, completely enthralled by this occurrence.

“I know,” I said. “But I look crazy as shit walking down the street alone as I smile and laugh goofily like some madman at seemingly nothing.”

“I would rather be with some happy crazy guy than some surly normal dude,” Rosa then said.

“At least I give these nosey small town, small minded people something to gossip about,” I said as I laughed. “Look, there is John’s son walking through town laughing at imaginary jokes. He is happily crazy. Poor thing.”

Rosa burst out laughing, putting her arm in mine, and pulling me close as we walked.

“I just love you to death,” she said. “You are so good at taking things in stride. I love that you can laugh and make fun of your mental illness.”

“I love you to death, too,” I replied as we walked.

We walked on to my house so I could check my mailbox for birthday cards and Rosa then plopped herself in front of my television to once again watch that boring drivel called Court TV. It has been a good day despite some flare ups with my mental illness.