Journaling Schizophrenic

Day One

I feel really bad for not updating in so long, so I've decided to start posting a story/book that I wrote a couple years ago. Since It's mostly finished you won't have to worry about writer's block or anything. I'll do my best to make sure it's properly edited & updated on a regular basis. It's a bit different than my other story, but the people who've read it have enjoyed it...

Note: I am aware that Schizophrenia is a serious condition and that this is not the most accurate depiction of it. This is just a fictional work of writing and I hope it doesn't offend anyone.

Anyway, enough random babbling, I'm sure you want to get to the main story, so here it is:

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Day One:

So Dexter, how am I supposed to start this thing anyway? Maybe it should be something along the lines of "Dear Diary, My name is Sammi, and I have Schizophrenia"? I don’t know, sounds kind of goofy to me. I still don't really understand why you gave me this anyway. I mean, I guess it was a nice gift and all, so thanks. But what's the occasion?

Are you seriously expecting me to hand this in to you every two weeks like some kind of homework assignment? Because, in case you didn't realize, I do have normal homework that piles up every weekend to do...

Nah, don't worry, I'm just teasing you. I really do like this journal thing. The cover is quite clever-a bunch of talking faces. Nice. I guess you had to raid your mom's craft supplies and magazines again just to cover the whole thing, didn't you? You really do have to get over this collaging obsession you've got.

Anyway, so you wanted me to write in here any time I'm stuck waiting for you (does it apply to anyone, or just you?) or when the voices start really bugging me right?

Yeah. Ok. Here goes I guess...

So today, I was talking to my grandmother - the one who flew over from Newfoundland for my cousin Jakey's baptism - about something that I guess was serious, but it seemed silly to me. Maybe I could've focused more on the importance of cleansing Jakey's soul of the original sin, if Marny hadn't started jabbering at me about some fisherman in galoshes who baptized his boat on a Friday the thirteenth.

Apparently he didn't know it, but just the night before, his seventeen year old son had brought his sixteen year old girlfriend on deck for some kind of "private get together". Then of course, considering the direction the story was headed, Sadie had to contribute. You know how she is...always making me embarrassed even though I know no one else can hear her. *sigh*

So yeah, Sadie decided to comment on how far the boat must've been rocking that night, and how my grandmother Ella would've loved to join them. I mean ugh, nobody wants to hear something like that about their grandmothers, right? But apparently Sadie thought it was the perfect way to amuse herself, and Marny just snickered and continued her story. Would you like to hear the rest of it? Is that a Yes? Lovely.

So anyway, this couple spent the whole night on board, just having a great time, and making a big, huge mess. When morning came, and they finally woke up from their twenty minute nap, which wouldn't have happened if the kid's mother hadn't texted him (advanced technology for a fisherman's son, I know) asking where he'd been all night and if he was getting ready for the ship's maiden voyage.

At this Sadie commented that the maiden had already had quite a voyage, and I just couldn't get her to stop putting these awful images in my head, no matter how many times I mentally yelled at her to shut her yap. Of course she does have the great defence that since she is just a voice in my mind, she doesn't have a yap, but this is an old argument.

Anyway, I could bore you with the details of what happened once the fisherman's son remembered what was supposed to happen in the afternoon, but I don't think I will.

In any case, with all this going on inside, as amusing as it might seem now, it was quite difficult to pay attention to grandma with a straight face, talking about how important baptisms are, and how much cuter Jakey is than I was at his age-which I must say has hurt me quite deeply. You think I was cute when I was little right? and don't say you have no idea what I looked like at that age, because I know my mom's pulled out the photo albums while I was in another room. Anyway, I hope this is enough, and I guess I'll just let you read this entry to make sure I've got it right. Feel free to comment and respond by the way.

Dexter’s First Response:

How did you already manage to lose the instructions Sami? Really, I duct taped it into the front cover for a reason. Anyway, basically I gave you this journal because I've noticed that you've been getting agitated a bit more often lately, and I thought you needed a way to how do you say it, blow off steam? Maybe just let it all out and write down anything you need to get off your back, or just anything you don't want to tell me in person. To answer your other questions, I guess you can write while you're waiting for other people too, it is your journal after all. As for the homework thing, I know you've got a bunch of other stuff to do, but this shouldn't feel like work. I meant for this to be a sort of stress reliever, or boredom-buster or whatever. The only reason I requested you "hand it in" to me every two weeks is so that I can touch base with you. I just want to know what's going on with you, and just be there if you start to get overwhelmed; I hope you don't mind. As for it being every two weeks, that's just to start off with, we can change the time intervals depending on how often you write, or if you want a response to a certain entry.

So now that I’ve (hopefully) cleared that all up, how's about the end of that fisherman's son story huh? I really would like to hear it. And I'm sorry, I know they're a nuisance, but Marny does come up with the best stories, and Sadie amuses me to no end. It's really mostly Jamie that worries me. It can't be fun having such an argumentative voice in your head. I really do wish I could just make it go away...