That Teacher’s A Monster

Yeah you think I’m crazy

Thankfully, Unsplash doesn’t have ridiculous psych patient stereotype photos — but I know that because I searched for several relevant keywords. Let’s go with a flower; flowers are always classic. Even the perfect rose blossom has a few blemishes. Photo by author.

I’ve written about myself before, but never before with multiple songs about monsters bouncing around my head. When was the last time you listened to — or even better, watched the music video for — the Eminem and Rihanna song The Monster?

Constant psychiatric references. Eminem is wearing a straight jacket for a lot of the video, and they make references to hallucinations and other symptoms of mental illness.

Whelp, friends — by this standard, I am a monster. I’ve been in-patient at psychiatric hospitals multiple times. I’ve even received electroshock treatments — more than 50, though I’m not currently receiving regular treatments. I do take half a dozen daily psych meds to stay stable, but these are diagnoses that may very well strike again.

I’m certifiably crazy.

I’m also a teacher, a cat-owner, a wife, a blogger, a gardener… so much besides a psych patient. But, according to pop culture, that’s the label that matters — psych patient. According to some, it makes me a monster.

Photo of the author, a certified monster, taken by the author’s kind sister. Yes, those are ripening lemons!

It is hard to imagine a psych patient joking with the cashier at the grocery store, happily…