Bullshit Art in Lyme Lands
Written by Huib, published Tuesday March 22nd, 2016
Shithole
Somehow only the Dutch can name an international airport in a way that only Dutchmen can pronounce it. Have you heard that Dutch is a throat disease rather than a language. So please don’t try and pronounce “Schiphol”.
Anyway, Lex and I used to work there, during our studies in Psychology. We somehow had to earn money to pay for all the beer and pool games that we needed to invest to hang in there and get our degrees, didn’t we?
A new grey, miserable and far too big parking lot (P1) was just built and of course all travellers got completely lost in it. Would you remember whether you had parked your car at the Windmill floor or rather the Wooden Shoe one?
Apart from that, most machinery was dysfunctional and as Douglas Adams rightly put it in The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul: “It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on earth has ever produced the expression “As pretty as an airport”.
Airports seem to be designed to alienate people. We got uniforms, walky-talkies and would be bored out of our wits. That is when our imagination was mostly at its best. As long as we scheduled our tours of duty together.
We would for example hide one walky-talky near an entrance at night, hide in Lex’ car next to it and ask entering unsuspecting people if ‘their wives knew about who was in the car with them’. Their reactions were enlightening. At least most secretaries suddenly stopped stroking silk ties of the male drivers.
The key to freedom
On another day some of the machinery to open the barriers at the exit was broken down. We had keys, to manually open them. We called a technician and let a few cars out like this. They thanked us politely and someone even tipped Lex, as the gentle warden of this concrete prison. We grinned and an idea was born. So we let out one more car and counted. Click. One two three. Open. Good. Ready to rock ‘ n’ roll.
We stood in front of one of the twenty exit gates, puffed up our chests, stuck out our chins, waved our walky-talkies about importantly and – sure enough – within seconds people were patiently waiting for us to tell them why they were stuck. As if that would help.
“Technical malfunction”, we exclaimed knowingly, with a similar attitude – mimicking the one of most idiots with a (blue, black or white) uniform, power over others and too little connected brain cells to spell the word “integrity”.
They thankfully gave us their tickets in turn, Lex used the magic key, I put the ticket in the slot and we counted silently. One: I kicked firmly on the side of the yellow thing. Two: Lex banged his elbow hard on the other side of it. Three: my fist tried to make a dent on top.
“Thank you!”, everyone exclaimed, while the barrier opened. A barrier that would have opened anyway. “At your service!”, we beamed at them. To all of them. The whole parking lot was full of waiting cars.
They were all lined up neatly before the only exit with two bullshit artists. All other 19 exits were perfectly in order. But nobody used them. My guess is that our mayor achievement was to keep a straight face.
Interesting, isn’t it? The car owners themselves had created their temporary prison, appointed us as both their wardens and saviours, while wasting their time waiting for us.
While ignoring the 19 other viable possibilities to escape to freedom and even thanking us for letting them out. While we tricked them to allow themselves to locked up in the first place.
Hahaha. Social psychology on the job.
Uuuuuhhhhmmmm
I was told that – months later – people would still kick in and bang on the yellow ticket machines. Apparently they assumed that they would otherwise not open. Of course. Anyway, we had fun and as Lex put it: ‘a day without laughter is a day not lived’. So we lived another day. A Priceless memory now.
So, how could this relate to Lyme Lands? Ever heard of obligatory health insurance? The Pavlov reaction to blindly believe doctors? The (a)social inability to acknowledge the possibility that people can indeed be ill without sores, pus or official labels?
I even find it behind the fact that groups of ill people feel entitled to be taken seriously. Who told them so? Life isn’t fair nor will it become more fair with that attitude.
I see that same herd mentality everywhere, so also in Lyme land. Read more about it in Shifting the Lyme Paradigm.
Cheers
Huib
Coincidence Theorist & Bullshit Artist
[My friend Igor rightly “branded” me like this recently. I could hear Lex open a can of beer, on his little cloud. Thanks, monsieur Pont… Oh, (c) and stuff]
drs. Huib Kraaijeveld
"This book perfectly describes the plight of millions of patients, who suffer from chronic Lyme Disease in many countries all over the world."
Prof. Christian Perronne, France
"This book is a gift of truth and passion to humanity."
Mia Morales, Lyme patient, USA
"I received the book exactly on the day that I had decided to end my life. Huh?! Yep. I am 35 years old years and have been ill for 19 years. Now I know why: Lyme. Everyone should read this book!"
Miranda, the Netherlands
"This book offers a new practical, human centered way of dealing with health information. It is also ringing a bell for the new time how to work together towards health and thriving."
Kim Schimmler, MD, Germany
"This pioneer's work made it perfectly clear that, when "i" becomes "we", even illness becomes wellness."
Frans Vermeulen, journalist, the Netherlands
"In his crucial work on Lyme disease, dedicated social researcher Huib Kraaijeveld does not pretend to have all the answers, but guides us towards asking the upsetting and essential questions."
Prof. Cees Hamelink, professor Communication Sciences & Human Rights, the Netherlands
"This book reads like a thriller! It touched me deeply and I am sure it will change the course of history."
Linda Graanoogst, journalist, the Netherlands
"Well, I am wiping my eyes and blowing my nose, while tears stream down my face. I guess that is a good sign. You hit the nail on the head claiming that Lyme survivors need 'understanding'. I would like my own partner to read this book."
Anodea Judith, PhD & author, USA
"What an awakening perspective! Huib has successfully set a quantum leap for understanding and managing Lyme disease by common people."
John Wong, bestselling author, Singapore
"A true and unpretentious caretakers' guide to understand Lyme. This book will help you to completely understand what your friend is going through; regardless of the symptoms they have. I wish it had been written ten years ago, because it can actually save lives!"
Cheryl Versalle, Lyme patient, USA
"This book actually speaks to people beyond its target audience (caretakers of people with Lyme Disease): people like me who are not travel companions, but to whom it is not hard at all to have or develop understanding and compassion. This makes the reach of this book bigger, much bigger if you’d ask me. I am amazed a book can do all of this!"
Saskia Steur, business blogger, the Netherlands
"This book reads like an exciting novel, were it not that it concerns a deadly serious issue. It calls to contribute and take care of each other and our world. Read, weep, feel and act!"
Manfred van Doorn, leadership expert, the Netherlands
"A creative and very intelligent vision to dive even deeper into the world of Lyme, to look at yourself, other people, but also the entire world around you."
Friend of someone with Lyme
"The book indicates that Lyme disease can be a sexually transmitted disease. This will cause a tidal wave of awareness all over the world. Like the child in the old fairy tale The Emperor’s New Clothes, who exclaimed: 'But the emperor is wearing no clothes!'"
Ola Aniel Petterson, STD campaign leader, Sweden
"What a brilliant sociological work! I am sure it will have much impact."
Professor Neuropathy, Germany
"This book is a big eye opener. Both for friends of people with Lyme disease as well as for people with Lyme. Or for any other health issues, for that matter."
Martin Möhrke, medical research leader, Europe
"I cannot read any other book for more than two minutes now, in this hell called Lyme. Yet yours I cannot stop reading! I should have put it away hours ago to clean the house. But I simply cannot stop."
Ineke, wife of a husband with Lyme, the Netherlands
"This book is a delight to read. It offers soft candlelight and warm campfire camaraderie on an often dark and lonely journey."
Laura Bruno, medical intuitive Lyme expert, USA
"A very honest and yet witty way of helping those with Lyme disease. This book is full of ideas on how to help your friend with Lyme, as a travel companion on this crazy journey called 'Lyme'."
Lisa Hilton, Lyme advocate, USA
"Both the personal experiences as well as the author’s sharp mind turn this into an incredibly inspiring book that raises the consciousness of its readers."
Kara, ex Crohn disease patient, the Netherlands
"Tempting, informative and eminently readable! Shifting the Lyme Paradigm is an absolute eye-opener for those who are not aware of what the journey of Lyme disease entails."
Terri Mackinnon-Cross, CEO WorldLymeDay.com, Canada
"This book gave us the recognition and acknowledgment, which were like a band-aid on an open wound."
Sara, Lyme patient, Belgium
"Very insistently written based on intensive, almost existential, personal experiences, this book also gives a clear overview of all relevant information for both patients and caretakers."
Jan Eendebak, former chairman Lyme Foundation STZ, the Netherlands
"A relief to read, written by an expert who shares his dedication to his own path with us, and brilliantly written."
Muna, mother of a daughter with chronic Lyme, the Netherlands
"Playful, frightening, informative and encouraging."
Merel, kinesiologist, the Netherlands
"This book made me realize that there is too little known behind the phenomenon Lyme. In a challenging manner the author provides understanding of Lyme disease and suggestions for tackling this disease. I have 'prescribed' this book to many of my patients and mostly astonishment was soon followed by recognition. An absolute must for anyone with (still) unexplained symptoms or the people close around them."
Duco Kanij, osteopath, the Netherlands
"This book guides you through the labyrinth of Lyme swiftly, while it took us YEARS to even get this far."
Eugenie van der Linden, ex-Lyme patient and therapist, the Netherlands
"This book is an absolute 'must read' for everyone! For patients, for family and friends, and for doctors who can finally learn that Lyme is more than what is written in their textbooks and that they should not be able to dismiss "unexplained" complaints as psychological too quickly!"
Anne Fierlafijn, MD, Belgium
"Shifting the Paradigm of Lyme is not like any other book on Lyme that I have read. It appeals to a higher consciousness, and is analytical in an introspective way that is pleasant to read. This book is a friendly and warm reminder that no Lyme patient is ever alone."
Thomas Grier, biologist, USA
"This book show how caring friends can intervene to provide succor and alliance ‘against the odds’ of a potentially serious and very complex illness that is still poorly understood by mankind."
Kenneth Liegner, MD, USA
