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April 2, 2003 I wanted to talk little bit more about the book Johnny Got His Gun. In the chapter that I’ve been reading lately, the meanderings of his mind take him to trying to figure out about time passing. He has no way of knowing what time it is. Or what date is, or whether it is day or night. He does many things to try and figure this out, he tries counting as high as he can count, he tries following his breath to figure out how many breaths per minute he might be breathing and then per hour... He tries detecting whether or not there is some light on his neck, about a two inch spot that is exposed and whether he can feel the sweat from this area and that would tell him that it was daylight because the sun would be on it. He tries to figure out by counting the number of times the nurse comes in between changing his bedclothes -- and he guesses that they may be changed every second day. All of these things he tries to do and many more and he finally gives up -- it is impossible for him to tell what time it is. Think about it, can imagine if you could not tell what time it is or whether or not it was day or night. My stepfather, John, who is blind and deaf used to suffer from some of this when we lived together. He was often up in the middle of the night because his sense of time and his sleep pattern was different than ours, not having daylight to go by. But at least he can walk around, he can talk and he can check his Braille watch. And he has contact with other people. In Johnny got his gun, Joe has none of this. Nothing but his mind. I would like to quote a part of the book here, a part that begins this discussion on time. He begins first by trying to think of the various literature, books, stories that he remembers to pass the time, or to get a sense of him- self, his own history. "David Copperfield had a tough time and was apprenticed to Mr. Micawber who believed everything would turn out well... Old Scrooge was tight and Tiny Tim said God Bless Us All.....Half a league half a league half a league onward. Into the valley of death road the six hundred. Noble six hundred. Theirs not to reason why theirs but to do or die. Nothing more. When the frost is on the pumpkin and the fodders in the shock when you hear the ta--de--dum--dee of the turkey cock. No good. Maybe something else... There are eight planets. There are Earth Venus Jupiter Mars Mercury. One two three four five. Three more. He didn't know. The stars flicker the planet has steady light. He couldn't remember. Thou shall not have any other and gods before and me. Thou and shalt not kill. Thou shall honor thy father and mother. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's ox nor his ass nor his manservant nor his maidservant. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shall not commit adultery. Not enough. Blessed are the meek for the shall inherit the Earth. Blessed are the poor for the shall see God. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness sake are they shall do something or other he couldn't remember. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. He leadeth me beside the green pastures. He leadeth me beside cool watchers. He annointeth my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Yea though I walk through the valley of death I shall fear no evil for thy rod and thy buckler they comfort me. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. That was pretty good. That was the best yet
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