To Whom it May Concern

To put things simply, I’m  going to write a book. My life story actually. But this project is not my idea. I’ve been pressured by others who believe it’s the only way to cure my ‘severe clinical depression’. 

Well, of course I’m depressed! What the blazes else could I be? The loss of everything I’ve worked and dreamed of  my entire life, the Nelson Institute and  Seaview,  placed into the hands of  others; well that’s bad enough, but it’s  nothing  compared to the loss of Lee Crane.

It began as a simple friendship between colleagues, then grew into a kind of brotherhood, and then…well, I discovered that I loved Lee as if he were the son I never had. But I’m not sure now, now that he’s gone, if I ever really told him so in no uncertain terms.

It’s as if my heart’s been  wrenched out of my soul. Nothing, not even another Nobel  Prize  has been able to cheer me up. And let me tell you, ‘time’ doesn’t  lessen the pain, no matter what everyone says.

They all keep telling me ‘do this’ activity, that activity, and a multitude of other ‘do this’, and ‘do that’s. Why the hell can’t they just leave me alone to grieve  in my own way? They think it’s been too long. But what they don’t seem to understand is that you can never stop. Not when your broken heart is from the loss of someone you love.

Jamie (Lt. Cmdr. (Ret.) Will Jamison, the former Chief Medical Officer aboard Seaview) decided that I should write a book about my so called ‘famous’ and ‘exceptional’  life history. He seems to think a project like this will help me to concentrate on something other than Lee.  But that  when I do mention his role in my life , it might help the ‘grieving process’.

And so, without my permission,  Jamie and the shrinks  signed me up for a newfangled 6 week online  course on how to write my life story. Just what and how to put it all together kind of ‘Continuing Education’ course.  But  I have to ‘publish’ it out there,  for all and sundry to see. The other students don’t have to make their homework visible, so making this part of the plan, this is nothing more than  an underhanded medical  treatment  to ‘force’ my ‘healing’. It’s this or I may end up under ‘psychiatric observation’ at some sanitarium.  And don’t think they can’t get a judge to commit me if I disagree to it.

As for writing and grammatical skills, (I don’t even know what a ‘dangling participle’ is), well, don’t be surprised if you find my life story in need of some rather detailed editing.  I’m a scientist, not an author. So I guess everyone will simply  have to stir though the vegetable soup of my life without any special literary seasoning.

The course starts in one week, and there are two classes a week. For the next 6 weeks, I’ll be obliged to begin  creating my life story with various homework assignments and take some non- graded quizzes. At the end, taking a similar final exam will insure Jamie’s happiness, even if I don’t end up earning that all important certificate of completion. ( You have to pass the final for that.)

As for me,  well, to quote a famous literary character, ‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.’

 See you in one week.

Harriman Nelson