an impressive moniker for gangsters
a rite of passage for roughnecks
and trainee chefs
happy hour retirees toast
knee surgeries and hip replacements
athletes swap boasts of past glory
those of us with mental scars
well…
freak is about the kindest thing I’ve heard
Never been a gangster or a trainee chef, and no hip or knee replacements yet but, oh yes, I have been called a freak on more than one occasion and now, as David Crosby once said, ‘I’m letting my freak flag fly’.
From smiling at the image of the trainee chef’s scar (I see bobbling with a knife…or trying for the first time to chop the way the professionals do — so fast) to smiling again at the retiree’s toast (here I think of when my mom and dad toasted once — when they were quite old — and in their enthusiasm hit the glasses too hard) to the sobering ending — the juxtapositioning is so well done.
You should check out the Broken Believers blog (https://brokenbelievers.com) where really nice things are said about and to encourage those with mental scars.
Powerful words Brian…and full of a truth that only comes from experience. So many invisible scars in so many people and so little invitation to ‘open’ up and show them in general…but in my experience it is a very profound thing when we can and do.
There Are More Poets than Stars in the Firmament 
Freak. I can so relate. What is normal?
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Normal is whatever you are.
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Freak – indeed!
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It’s us freaks that understand.
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Freak, it’s like when you see the bandage and not the wound.
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Battle scars are cool when there are visible bandages.
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That’s very sad.
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It’s life.
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Yes, so true.
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Deeply thought provoking…
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Thank you… 🙂
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Never been a gangster or a trainee chef, and no hip or knee replacements yet but, oh yes, I have been called a freak on more than one occasion and now, as David Crosby once said, ‘I’m letting my freak flag fly’.
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Good for you Kim.
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This is so true!!
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I don’t need fake scars to understand.
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Nope. 💜
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This is so sadly true. At least we are all in very good company. 😉 Love this, Brian.
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Something about poets. 🙂
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Those mental scars can last a lifetime and can be challenging ~ Good one Brian (I can relate) ~
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Thanks Grace, I think most people can relate but too often suffer in silence.
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From smiling at the image of the trainee chef’s scar (I see bobbling with a knife…or trying for the first time to chop the way the professionals do — so fast) to smiling again at the retiree’s toast (here I think of when my mom and dad toasted once — when they were quite old — and in their enthusiasm hit the glasses too hard) to the sobering ending — the juxtapositioning is so well done.
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Most of my past jobs have been in retail/sales and my older clientele would always be eager to show off scars.
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I suspect people don’t value mental scars as highly as they should.
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Or at all it seems.
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You should check out the Broken Believers blog (https://brokenbelievers.com) where really nice things are said about and to encourage those with mental scars.
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Thanks for the link Linda.
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A lot of truth in those 44 words. Well written.
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Thank you very much for commenting.
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Well put.
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Thank you very much.
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Ah yes, such a variety! But I think there are more ‘freaks’ around than are detected!
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Personally I think the freaks are the majority.
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Powerful words Brian…and full of a truth that only comes from experience. So many invisible scars in so many people and so little invitation to ‘open’ up and show them in general…but in my experience it is a very profound thing when we can and do.
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It is always a concern when showing someone an invisible scar for the first time. They could scar you further.
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Choosing who to open up to is important
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Comes down to trust and opportunity.
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