I'm Napoleon. You got a problem with that?
(Published in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin—January 14, 1996)
Our society has come a long way in its treatment of mental health problems. Mental illness no longer carries the social stigma it once did. There’s one disorder, though, that still evokes snickers from the uninformed: “paranoid schizophrenic with delusions of grandeur.” You know, people who truly believe the CIA is tapping their phones, or that they’re special emissaries from another galaxy.
But who’s really out of touch here? Maybe these folks are onto something. It wouldn’t hurt to learn a thing or two from our disoriented neighbors.
We all get enough demeaning treatment from the world around us. If someone can get an edge in life by inflating his status a little, is that so wrong? If being Winston Churchill can boost someone’s confidence enough to find a job, who are we to laugh? I say go for it.
And consider this: without delusional people, how many feature films would get produced in Hollywood? Zero! It takes a special person to believe that his vision is worth $100 million of someone else’s money—plus all the technicians, writers, extras and caterers that have to be mobilized. It’s mind-boggling. As you can see, one person’s psychosis is another person’s trillion-dollar industry.
Another thing: if not for these folks, would we have eccentric millionaires running for president, bringing new life to the political process? No, we would not.
Would we have flamboyant artists from Europe turning the Santa Susana Mountains into giant canvasses for their self-indulgent whims? No, we would not. (Since it was a few years ago, you may have forgotten that guy’s name: Christo. Tell you something?)
In short, the contributions of these people have been underappreciated, and add up to one thing: jobs. The fantasies of a few visionaries have employed thousands, right here in southern California. You could say our entire economy rests on the shoulders of people who can’t stand being ordinary.
But what about you and me? What does all this have to do with us normal people, who get up every day and go to work; who are just trying to pay our bills and avoid the panhandlers at the self-service gas station?
For some of us, “normal” life is getting pretty old. Maybe, like others, you’re tired of having your credit applications turned down. Tired of being ignored. You’re looking for that special hook; that little something that will spell “success.”
Consider assuming an alternate identity. A dramatic cape, some exotic headgear—these could make the difference. In California, you are who you pretend to be. Or something like that.
I myself am preparing to be a 15th-century French girl who gets burned at the stake. Should fatten up my resume quite nicely.
A la guerre!
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