A Struggling Daddy

With Father's day recently passing and the heatwaves we've been experiencing, I thought it time to devote some words to my father. My father, Thomas Razonski was one of twelve casualties of Delaware County during the heatwave of July 1999. He was merely ten years older than I am today, at death he was only 49 years old. He suffered long before his death as he had to live with schizophrenia. To get an idea on what Schizophrenia does, please read Having Schizophrenic Parents, an article I wrote quite some time ago. The one solid thing he left behind was his words. He had passed these on to me and I'm sure he'll be smiling in heaven to see them in a public place where people can read and experience his thoughts. Pages upon pages of poetry, an insight to a mind none could understand. Every day until the anniversary of his death I will print one or more of his poems. Perhaps it will help others with loved ones living with schizophrenia to see within the mind of one who suffered from it.

Gayle Crabtree's Important Article

When reading Gayle Crabtree's article, I was reminded of the dangers of the heat. Her article title focuses on work, but all her tips can be applied at home as well. This is such important information. Most people don't really think of the possibility of death from heat, particularly when they are young. Unfortunately the heat's effects are unpredictable. Everyone needs to stay informed of signs of illness from the heat and of course, prevention of those effects. Anyone reading this should take the small amount of time to forward the information she had provided. It Could after all, save life.

The Struggle of Schizophrenia, The Gift of Genius

I say my father's life was a struggle because unfortunately he suffered fom Schizophrenia. I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to live in a world where no one seemed to understand you or even take you seriously. I've been told by his parents that while in school they tested his IQ as he had always been either disruptive, or just plain "spacing out". God had given him the gift of genius as his IQ was 165. According to Wilderdom: " an IQ of "155-164 - Genius (e.g., Nobel Prize winners)"*. Catherine Cox Miles authored a very interesting book called "The Calculated IQ Estimates for 301 Historic Geniuses". To give an idea of my fathers brilliance, some of the famous people Catherine Cox Miles listed as having about the same IQ as my Dad were:

Albert Einstein IQ Score 160
Beethoven IQ Score 165
Ben Franklin IQ Score 160
Thomas Jefferson IQ Score 160
Mozart IQ Score 165

A Splintered Mind

They are just a few. There were many more around the same IQ, and even more with a much lower IQ that accomplished amazing things. Unfortunately the gift he was given was clouded by the disease of Schizophrenia. The only way I can describe what his mind seemed to be was splintered.

There are many famous people that were able to see through the fog of mental illness and go on to accomplish many things. If you would like to view famous people listed as having a genius IQ and suffering from mental disorder, visit this interesting site. You may find yourself quite amazed, of them, some listed are:

Vincent Van Gogh
Ozzy Osbourne
Edgar Allan Poe
Virginia Woolf
Mel Gibson

Poem for the Day

For all the poems I include this week, I have rewritten them here exactly as he originally typed them. Word for word, exact spelling, everything. Here's your father's day present dad-some understanding and what you wanted, your words where people can read them.

Halucination

it's a hot hard road I am travelin' on
it's a hot hard road and it seems so long.

it's a long hard road and it's a heavy load
and i can't seem to get my rest
provided i try to do my best
and it seems like to me-like my gears are jammed in low
but I know---i know
i know i'm stuck in overdrive
i know i'm stuck in overdrive
i know i'm stuck in overdrive
and the world moves along so slow to me
it's all just a bluri cannot see.
i do my best to try to perceive
which are the locks and which are the keys
some people say-they say to me
they wish they had my clarity
of vision vision visions
but they don't realize
they don't realize
they don't realize the pain

they don't realize
the keys are hidden in their minds
and can't be found cause they despise the pain

they don't realize
they don't realize
they don't want to be like me

lost in overdrive
lost in overdrive
lost in overdrive
lost in overdrive overdrive

Thomas Razonski

Personal Experience
http://wilderdom.com
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5512482/8_tips_on_how_to_prevent_heat_stroke.html
?cat=5
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5512482/8_tips_on_how_to_prevent_heat_stroke.html
?cat=5