This crazy world

Nora Soriño .

ILIGAN City — The city public plaza here is a place where you can see people who are  not quite right in the head. They walk to and fro in the expanse of the plaza. Most of them are women. One woman goes dancing to her heart’s desire, enjoying a disco night in her own happy world.

A woman in her mid-thirties is taking up residence there; her worldly belongings laid beside her. She is silent most of the time but if you look at her and offer her something bought from a passing street vendor, like  cooked camote or fried bananas, she accepts it and gives you a grateful smile. If you talk to her asking for her name, she answers, “Liling,” in a small voice. Maybe, she’s really not that crazy. Only, she doesn’t have anybody or any other place to turn to.

The others who are roaming about do not wait for the offers; they ask the people near them to give them something. Some of the promenaders simply ignore them. They’re the non-violent types anyway.

And should they become violent, there’s the Police Station 5 which is about two hundred steps away from the plaza.

Their male counterparts usually don’t stay there at the plaza. Some go about the city in their own “happy” ways, “walang pakialam sa mundo.” Never mind if their attire is “forbidden” in public places.

Some of them are not happy though as they’re always shouting and fighting some demons which only they themselves could see as these are all in their minds.

I remember during a rally at the city hall grounds for the support of the then detained Mayor Celso Regencia where his supporters were there to stress a point, I saw the “dancers” and the “walkers” in the plaza and even those in “standby mode” there. They joined other rallyists to the Regencia supporters to stress their point to then Vice Mayor Ruderic Marzo (who was then assuming as acting mayor). I mean, the nuts at the plaza transferred their well, “gimmicks” at the city hall grounds, at Buhanginan hills.

We enjoyed the sight, not necessarily the rally but the nutty “inhabitants” of the plaza showing their “acts” in a different venue!

Maybe, some guy supporting the good mayor came up with that bright idea?

Mental health, to note, is a ticklish issue. Our government has ignored it for long. And I suppose, it is not only this country that ignores it; other countries as well. Because, let’s admit it, everybody is “a little crazy” or not quite right in the head. Not always. But sometimes. And in varying degrees.

What good then is a healthy-looking body that is carrying some crazy brain?    Some don’t look buang at all. They’re normal-looking. But inside their  heads are turmoil. They suffer from paranoia, schizophrenia or are bipolar.  They irrationally think that some people are out to get them.

I came across a book written by one Dr. Carol North who had to struggle with schizophrenia early on. All the time, she saw these messages from some people, creatures, even from God, patterns special meanings to decipher. Through all these, she acted normal although she confided what she was going through to some of her close friends.

She went through an experimental treatment, which was undergoing some dialysis, to get rid of the toxic substance inside her brains that was causing them.

Luck was on her side. The treatment cured her! And she became a doctor and she specialized in psychiatry.

We are glad that these days, there’s a Mental Health Law now.

Its about time. It is said that doctors and students advocating the said law signed by President Duterte, are gearing up for the implementing rules and guidelines on it.  One student leader, a PJ Florendo said that having such a law is a sign of relief for those like him who was diagnosed to have depression two years ago. And he had to spend P3,500 a month for theraphy and medicine that was very costly for him and his family.

But excuse me. I have to go. I think somebody’s chasing me and I got many messages to decipher!