Things are looking up. Saw Marlena, my therapist (oh, that sounds stupid!) and we agreed I'd pass on weekly visits. Will go again for a catch-up in a month, unless something "should come up" before that. (Like what? A hissy fit or poison looking good?)
Gave Pat a shampoo and full body wash--finally. Didn't get him settled in the living room until almost 3:00, but was glad to get that done.
Rehearsal last night went very well. We didn't actually "rehearse," but went through the script to make changes. I brought in a page of new jokes for the "Bob Hopeless" character and they were well-received. Director Tara asked me to work up a new short dialogue between my character and two others. Of course, I agreed and am pleased she asked me to do that.
All in all, a good day, but I'm just as glad we don't have another rehearsal until next Tuesday.
Wider: From The Mencken Society, of which I'm a member:
"Any kind of handicap save one may be overcome by resolute spirit--blindness, crippling, poverty. The history of humanity is a history of just such overcomings. But no spirit can ever overcome the handicap of stupidity. The person who believes what is palpably not true is hopeless."
H.L. Mencken wrote that in 1956. What springs to mind is enlistment in the military. To believe the old lies: "fighting for our freedom," "making the world safe for democracy,"home of the brave," and so on and nauseatingly on. seems to me to reflect an absolute refusal to examine what one is actually doing--assisting in the slaughter of other human beings. But hey, what else is new? I guess it started in the stone age: "Come on, Oog, let's go kill the neighbors before they carry off our women."
"Carry off our women? But there are only children next door."
"Well, they'll grow up eventually, won't they? And then they'll carry off our women."
"Hey, you're right! We need to defend the homeland from those barbarians. Gimme that rock so I can bash their heads in."
(They rush off, while members of their tribe wave branches and cheer to show their support for the troops.)