Recently it has come to my attention that someone I know is batshit crazy. I've known him for most of my life (he's a friend of my brothers) and always considered him more family than anything else. We tend to have rose colored vision when it comes to family. We never recognize negative traits when they're attached to people we love, and our particular brand of quirk is special, exempted from the rules that apply to most peoples lunacy. This is to be expected, and we'd probably never get through life otherwise. So this friend is very close to me. We have had our disagreements from time to time, but thats also to be expected, and as much as I sometimes questioned his decisions, I have never questioned his mental stability. I got a call from another mutual friend this week, and they wanted to discuss his latest escapades. I made minor small talk for a minute and she said "So are we going to talk about whats going on with --?" I was in the dark, oblivious if you will. Then she filled me in on some details in a year long drama that I was previously blind to. I'm kinda caught up in my work these days, as you may or may not have noticed (not offended if you didn't, after all, I wouldn't) so the hints and signs that had everyone else in our world up in arms completely escaped me. I can't tell you what is going on because it would get the rest of my family in trouble, but believe me when I tell you he is off his rocker. Lost the plot. Gonzo. Why in the world am I telling you all this? Other than the tiniest tidbit of gossip, what the hell do you care?
Because it relates to me.
When I encounter people like this, who are decidedly short of sense, I am usually last one to suspect something may be amiss. I usually take people at their word (except men, but thats a different story) and don't question when they tell me crazy stories. It usually takes a third party to shed light on the issues. But when I finally do grasp the gravity of the situation, it makes me reevaluate my entire belief system. My thought process goes like this: 1. Who the hell are you to judge, look at the nutso crap you believe. 2. Are we sure they're not just misunderstood? 3. They are definitely crazy, so you probably are too, after all, you like them.
