"Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.” - Martin Luther King Jr

My friend Shawn's boyfriend posted this on his blog recently. My head almost exploded. (Note: This video clip is part of a longer original, which is no longer available at the original site.)



There's something quite unusual about this kind of insanity. Normally, when we think of someone who's utterly insane, we think of the crazy dude asking us for money on the sidewalk... or, even worse, the crazy dude telling us we need to repent for our sins before we can cross the street or walk into the Walgreen's. I find it less than comforting to know that the craziest among the crazies are actually working hand models.

It does bear mentioning that the nuttier of the two women in this clip is married. When I see long-term relationships that are maintained in a relatively healthy way by people who are utterly deranged, it makes me wonder about the rubric by which I define sanity for the rest of the world. If crazy hand lady's husband is truly as devoted and long-suffering as he is portrayed in this clip, then does that mean that he's faking it, or that there truly is "a lid for every pot"? What about my friends who haven't either found or maintained long term relationships? Does that mean that they're crazier than the hand lady, or does that mean that they're not crazy enough... and if it's the latter, then what does that say about my own sanity? It makes one's head hurt a bit.

All that said, I truly am grateful that my profession, as specialized as it is, does not involve walking around town with my hands in opera-length black gloves, held high in a combination "stick-em-up!" / "touchdown!" pose. As low as the standards are on Manhunt these days, I doubt there'd be many takers.