Wondering where to start? Love Richard.

Overcoming our American differences begins with empathy.

I found love in the locked Acute Unit of a State Hospital in 1990. Oh sure, it was the wrong time and place, but Richard was irresistible. He was a psychotic wisp! Bone-skinny and less than five feet tall but given to striking manly martial arts poses in the hallway. He had lived with a schizoaffective condition for most of his 50 plus years. He majored in theatre at college and to say he was “dramatic” would be an understatement. He was a fixture of the Harvard Square homeless community — known for pirouetting at the sight of pretty ladies. About every four months he was brought to the hospital by police for being a “public nuisance.” So you can see quite plainly — he was irresistible.

I was a lowly social work intern and whenever Richard’s name showed up on the census somehow mine was magically marker-ed right beside his. Psych hospital nurses have a special way of ‘mentoring’ young and idealistic social workers. But to everyone’s surprise, mine included, I loved working with him. It took a minute learning how to bob and weave around his slow-motion karate, but Richard’s charm overwhelmed. He made (insightful) ribbing references about the “greats of psychiatry,” he quoted Shakespeare, he joked about the Human Rights Officers’ name (Kermit), he spun fantastic tales about his daily life like…