A sketch of my misfortune and "The Adult"

Schizophrenia and a traumatic brain injury in the same adolescence !
That is my misfortune, double-vision, spastic disphonia, memory
problems.

My social worker is coming over on Friday to visit me.

I'd like to write you a more cogent autobiography, there's a lot to
say, but my head gets too excited by grandiose plans, designs of this
nature. It's better just to listen to the radio, my collection of Bob
Dylan concerts and my Chet Baker CDs.

I am God's fortunate son, I am secure in this knowlege.

Do you remember that painting I made called "The Adult" ? The last
time you were here -- I'm not positive of when that was -- I told you
it was missing and could not be found. You grinned and said that was
a painting you really liked. Guess what ? I found it !

All this time I thought it was something I had framed and I misplaced
it, but it is safe and sound, in a box containing some of my old
artwork. I remember now that I had another painting framed and now it
is gone. I'm not sure what happened to it, I think I gave it to Nancy
Hancock. I can remember that I was obsessed with her but I don't
recall too much more about that period in my life. I was in the army,
too, I remember !

I hope you respond to this message. This is why I called you
yesterday, to inform you that I found the painting/drawing. Sorry,
I'm not sure I can part with it. They're not holding hands, the child
is looking at the adult with admiration and awe. The painting is
titled "The Adult" on the back and is dated 1990. I think I would
like to frame it.

I found another sketch for a painting, a painting I never made called
"U.S.A. Movement" and I recall it's purpose was to show the history of
the United States in a sort of a narrative triptych. From the
manifest destiny period to the start of the railroads, from great
ships of empire and the statue of liberty -- to finally, at the top of
the sketch, what appears to be a plane on fire headed towards the
World Trade Center. The date on the drawing is 1989. I would have
liked this painting to be 20 feet tall, but it's only a sketch.

I was never able to convince anyone of my genius. Or maybe I did ?
Nancy Hancock said, "People with your level of intelligence usually
aren't very functional." Maybe that's why I gave her the painting I
had framed. It was a painting of an elongated figure, stretchinng out
towards a glowing crucifix. I'm not a great artist, but I'm very
creative. Surely it was pleasing to God. In fact, I know it was,
that's probably the reason why God contacted me in 1995. Now, a word
of caution: My understanding is that some schizophrenics are convinced
of having religious experiences where they obtained a profound insight
into the nature of art and life. So the fact that I take 3 mg of
Risperdal before bedtime should be weighed heavily very accepting the
veracity of the above statements relating to the experience of
divinity. But it is true !

God bless


-ABN