Tuesday 7 July 2009

Cockroach

Cockroaches, yes, I know, I'm coming to that.

Out of the many health things I fear, I think Alzheimer's is second to worst. (I think it would be even worse to be mentally aware and unable to communicate or move). But good news! Coffee, they have determined, may reverse some of the problems resulting from Alzheimers. I do like me some coffee, always have done in fact, just not after midday, or teatime at the latest.
Still, tally-ho!
Off to Timmie's more regularly we go!

Now all I need is a study that shows that drinking red wine ensures that if you ever have a stroke, it carries you off completely, and doesn't just leave you in a drooling state. Failing that, I'll keep taking my blood pressure tablets.

One thing about being at home, is that whatever you're doing can have a soundtrack to it, it tends to annoy people you work with outside of the home, to have to rock the Casbah all day long.

So, yesterday, on t' radio, an author of mid-European origins was being interviewed. He had written a book called 'Cockroach'. Now immediately, most people would probably think of Kafka, I know I did. The interviewer did too, but managed to avoid asking the question directly for quite a while. A while, in fact, during which, the plot of the book was discussed - an immigrant has a bad time making a decent living in Canada.
'Is there a message in this book for us Canadians?' asked the interviewer, 'that perhaps the 'Canadian dream' isn't always all it promises?'
'No,' said the Russian-sounding gent, 'it is not about that, the book says nothing about the experience of the immigrant,'
'But it's about an immigrant,'
'Ah, but it is based on MY experience as an immigrant,'
'So, did you have difficulty making ends meet in Montréal?'
'It isn't about this, at first, I lived a very simple life in Montréal, but this isn't what this book is about,'
'Right, so, then, the person in the book imagines he is a cockroach,'
'Yes, one day I see a cockroach and I use this,'
'Do you not think that is rather like Kafka's 'Metamorphosis'?'
'No, I wish I hadn't used a cockroach, because many people are always saying this, it is all they can think of, it is not to do with Kafka, there are many metamorphoses, not all of them are about cockroaches, I wish I had never made it a cockroach, perhaps a spider,'
'But yet you did, and the book is called, 'Cockroach'.....'

How long, I wonder, before the sightings of Whacko Jacko start? I notice that he has been elevated to sainthood, no longer may anyone mention any dodginess with regard to children, and soon I imagine there will be public humiliation of those who made accusations.

Cockroaches? Who mentioned cockroaches?

2 comments:

Sleepy said...

Totally with you on the Jacko thing!

Aesop's Cup said...

I am glad I am a coffee drinker. I am sure to not get ...what was that word?

You know? No wonder so many old folk deny having alzheimers. It is a terrible word to get ones mind around.

Can you imagine a doctor saying,"you have alzheimers dear" No the patient says while their mind swirls around an impossible spelling. An alzi- what'sa?