Skippy is a stick insect on steroids. Whether by himself or in company he’s lively, disturbingly lively. Any time we meet he can’t be still a moment, and his movement could be the Ali shuffle, Michael’s moonwalk or a Viennese waltz, or all three in the space of a minute.
The first time i saw him coming down the path i thought he was a troubled adolescent throwing shapes but as he drew close i could see he was much too long in the tooth to be one perpetually troubled by a circus in his shorts. And at first, i thought my presence upset him but then i came to realise he’s a compulsive mover, a constant dancer, and for a man of fifty quite the performer.
He wears his hair long, down to his shoulders, a pepper ‘n’ salt cascade parted in the middle. His dress is simple, flip-flops, baggy shorts and T-shirts that hang like curtains from bony shoulders, and sometimes he has a heat plaster on a knee or an elbow.
When we meet at the lift or on the path leading to the shops he greets me in precisely the same way each and every time.
‘Howya, Boss. It’s all shite and onions, isn’t it?’
The combination is reminiscent of Joyce, and where he picked it up is uncertain. I suspect it was at the docks where he worked for years before he was given the push.
‘Yes,’ i say, and he smiles at me and punches the air. He’s told me on several occasions i’m the only one in the building he likes.
‘Don’t believe anything the bastards tell you,’ he says, ‘the only thing straight about them is their hair.’
I don’t comment.
Everyone else in the building fears Skippy because he’s given to moods and can be fiercely insulting. At times, he can be violent.
Skippy lives with his 75-year-old widowed mother and his 16-year-old son, his only child. Skippy’s wife left five years ago, she couldn’t take it any more, and is somewhere in Malaysia. Granny looks after the boy and the boy keeps an eye on his father when he can. Despite the difficulties at home the boy’s doing well at school and for his age is remarkably sorted and sane.
Skippy has two sisters who live nearby. Both women have good jobs and pay the bills for their mother.
Every few months Skippy loses the plot entirely and is taken away. He’s usually gone about three weeks and what they do to him where he’s held or what drugs they pump into him i can’t tell. When he comes home again he’s calm for a while until his demons get the better of him once more and he’s back to dancing and throwing shapes.
When he’s in a bad way he breaks things. A week ago he started shouting and breaking and kicked up such a racket his neighbour across the landing came out to see what was going on. He saw her, aimed a stream of invective in her direction, picked up a chair, broke a leg off and went after her. She managed to get behind her door just in time.
Yesterday, i met Skippy’s mother on her way back from the shops pushing a trolley of groceries, and i asked after her son. She looked at me with sad eyes and said, ‘Mr John, two of the hospital people came to visit me last night and told me they’ve decided not to release him any more, he has to stay there now, he’s too much of a danger to everyone, and to himself.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ i said.
‘Thank you,’ she said.
‘I’m so sorry,’ i said again.
‘Never mind, Mr John, sooner or later the day had to come.’
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johnpoetflanagan 
A wonderful post John. Mental illness is tearing up
The lives of many sufferers and their families and communities. Florida is at the bottom of the list in the States in funding and resources to help the mentally ill thanks to our governor who rejected federal aide in the form of Medicaid . My heart goes out to those families. Thank you again John, I hope you are well. Sending love. Holly
Thank you, Holly
for your great response and for your compassion.
Mental illness is a terrible affliction and there are so many victims.
Much love
john
My pleasure John, thank you!
California did fortunately accept the Medicaid expansion and now have funds for mild to moderate mental illness through managed care plans like the one where I am the Mental Health Director serving 560,000 of the most needy in 14 of our counties. Seriously mentally ill still receive services through the county mental health program. It’s the only reason why I am still working at 73!
Nicely done, John. Have a thriving Thursday. Mega hugs!
Teagan
Thank you very much
Mega hugs back
john
So many lost……living under bridges….or wearing a family numb………you captured the pathos and the wistfulness we all feel, wishing we could make things better.
Thank you, Eileen
for a beautiful, sensitive response
Much love
john
Humor and tragedy, such is life. Very touching read, Brother John!
Brother David
Thank you for a fine response.
Much love to You and Diane
Always your brother
john
Mental illness the disease, the out cast of society. The untold story of continued anguish that never leaves the afflicted or family Uncle John. Have a wonderful weekend.
A beautiful, sensitive comment, Miss Mary
Thank you
Big hugs
uncle john
A wonderful study, John, of a fascinating sounding character…and then the conclusion which is so sad. We all walk a narrow ledge, I feel.
Thank you, Chris
for seeing and feeling so well,
it makes the writing and sharing worthwhile
My best to you
john
I always look forward to reading you, John; I appreciate you sharing your writing.
I’m so sorry, too. What could they do for him in an institution – drugs, etc. – that couldn’t be done outside of it? Maybe he just needed someone to remind him to take them?
I’m very anti-institution right this minute, having spent the majority of two weeks in two different hospitals on 4 admissions – they’re horrible places full of self-righteous people.
Thank you, Alicia
Best wishes
john
A touching story John. So many people live on this mental edge. Thank you for sharing Skippy with us.
Val
Thank you for responding and for caring
Big hugs
john
Mental illness is such a tragedy for the one affected and everyone around them. I’m glad you saw the interesting and unique in this individual. It sounds like he’s a schizophrenic, controlled by meds but not wanted to be on them.
Thank you, Noelle
for this fine comment.
Yes, Skippy is dear to me..and i plan on visiting him
when visiting is allowed in a few weeks
Big hugs
john
I kept thinking of Skippy the Kangaroo.
Thank you, Gavin
for reading and commenting
My best to you
john
such a sad story and one that sooner or later affects someone we know in some way/form/shape. Nice piece on the neighborhood again ā¤
Kim
Thank you very much for reading and commenting,
and I hope all is going well for you
Big hugs
john
crazy busy and trying to ride the wave of craziness with a smooth grace. I love your stories and I’m sorry for not letting you know more often. Next week should run smoother for me and I’ll have more time for what I love, reading good things and writing myself š catch you soon my friend, Kim (big hugs too ā¤ )
Thank you, John, for such a sensitive and clear-eyed portrayal of Skippy, his family, his neighbors, and the necessity and limitations of medical care. In a very short piece you captured an immense complexity…including the warmly humorous observation “I could see he was much too long in the tooth to be one perpetually troubled by a circus in his shorts.”
Thank you
Joan
for this excellent comment
and for your fine support
My best to you
john
Excellent.
Thank you
What a touching piece about this person’s difficulties. I’m so glad I read it: it’s a skill to tell a difficult issue so warmly.
Thank you for this fine and encouraging comment
Best Wishes
john
John, why the hell aren’t you published? You are so damned good. You need to put these character studies together in a book somehow. Man, I wish I could write like you!
Kate
You’re more than kind.
i published a few books ten years ago and a few poems in mags
but in general i’m not good at pushing or self-promoting.
Thank you for the fine support
Big hugs
john
I think you are one of the most gifted writers I have come across since blogging.
Thank you Kate
John, I agree with Kate above. You are “so damned good.”
You’ve made Skippy alive for me. You capture your characters with such grace.
Thank you, too, Myra
for the compliment and for the unstinting support, it means a lot to me
Bless you
Always
john
You bring these people to my door, John. I half expected to see Skippy when I went out to get the mail.
Gorgeous comment, Gina
Thank you for the excellent support
john