Bits From My Life

In Fall ‘79 I attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah, on a National Merit Scharship (had highest score in Utah on the prelim.). My interest was music composition but began as a piano major. Did well. In winter quarter ‘80 I took a composition class on Stravinski. Now, every quarter all of us music majors had to submit an original composition. When the comp. Prof. saw my submission for spring ‘80 he was quite taken aback: “Mark, what happened? This is good!”. Well, he got some of the credit, Stravinskian melody, harmony, meter, rhythm, they were all there. This was my first modern music. I had also taken a class in Wagner, so among my many endeavors that summer was the writing of a libretto, upon the reading of which back at USU, my comp. Prof. says he thinks I have there “a treasure”. Start writing the music, he likes it, I like it a lot. “Geiger harmony”–my term, a little wilder than before, a little atonal here and there. If you are interested, some of that piece still survives in my mini opera “The Goddess’ People”, hopefully to appear in this website soon. Anyway the first half of ‘81—the happiest 6 months of my life. Diemut and I are essentially living together with one other person in our small house just off campus. We visit her folks in Germany and everything falls apart. The following year, July ‘81 – July ‘82 is the worst in my life. I make it back—barely, deteriorate further in Raton NM (home), and after attending a few classes fall ‘81, attempt suicide. I am however rescued. Don’t know by whom, never met him (but he must have been big and strong, and unaccountably there at 5:00 AM), but pray for him a lot.

Some good things begin to happen, am set up with a good psychiatrist, Honie B. Crandall, and good therapist. Also the antidepressant she’s put me on (Ludiomil?) kicks in after three weeks, just as she has said, to the day. Get some relief—some nice thoughts. All the Geigers there christmas, enjoyable. Our 49ers win the ‘82 superbowl—you can’t be a Geiger without loving the’Niners. Our UNC Tarheels win it all at end of 3/82—you can’t be a Geiger without loving the ‘Heels. That Spring I am saved. See My Beliefs above. Towards end of ‘82 I’m doing well enough to take a “voice class” just over the pass at Trinidad State Jr. College. Try to go back to USU fall of ‘83—crack up again. Honie B. perplexed–”what’s wrong with this guy?” Finally she diagnoses me Bipolar and puts me on lithium—it seems to work. Most of ‘84, ‘85 living in psychiatric half way houses, the one called “Beth Haven” the best. Got to stay there twice actually, ’82, and this time, ’84. But have to leave when the guy whose bed I have been occupying gets back from the State Hospital. As it turned out, he, John Wells was my best fellow-psychiatric friend. He, his girlfriend Cindy Hudak, and I go to church (St. Mary’s downtown), grocery shop, and hang out together. I was “Second Best Man” at their wedding. Anyway, then stayed at an ordinary boarding home—mostly old people. One of these, a military guy, had been in France during WWII (knew French—he was from Nova Scotia), anyway we became fast friends and loved to drive around Colorado, checking out remnants of old mining towns and of course incredible natural beauty, together. Decide to try higher ED again. Can no longer compose, so try math, had always been good at it.

I Get into The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, first class College Algebra, spring semester. I’m taking it slow, just 1 class per semester at first, and in spite of nasty impulses to attack those in adjacent desks, do well. Graduate in ‘87 with BA, and in ‘89, with Ann Cushman, with MS’ (incidentally, we tied for Math Grad of the Year, something I was pleased with, she not so much, having won it solo the proceeding year)–thank you Saber! (See Interesting life of Saber Elaydi in Miscellany). On to UNM, Albuquerque for PhD. Several things happen, I experiment with something called Algebraic Topology (my MS thesis had been in topology–proved Saber Elaydi WRONG–topological quotient spaces could be T2 without being T3–he thought it would collapse)–No Thanks!–cannot understand the Prof., or the book, one of those nasty yellow ones (the book). What’s more, now I can compose (as of ‘91). New plan: retreat back to Colorado Springs, where they have a MUCH better system for the mentally ill, get on SSI, (get on Clomipramine–obsessive/compulsive disorder), get mentally ill housing, compose music and study the bible (though I was converted in 82, never really got around to what it was I now believed. Met Sandy Padilla (I still had the last remnants of hope of being a sexual being again, after Diemut, it was, unfortunately, never to be), made a deal: if she would teach me the bible, which she knew forwards and backwards, I’d try to help her with beer and cigarettes. Eventually we were no longer good at all for each other, but my beloved third savior, my brother Jay, stepped in, and told Mom he would try to look after me, had this computer, bought me the program Finale—and–the rest is history!–just joking, :-). Final diagnosis: Schizo-affective Disorder, taking Seroquel and Busibrone (sp?), seem to be working.

Overall: gradual increase in value since ’81.

Mark Geiger–Biblical Commentator (like Maimonides, Talmud guys, Isaac Asimov…)–Hobbies: linguistics, Toulouse- Lautrec (sp?), Colorado Rockies, music, website, LinkedIn.

My role: to help God’s people, And take away any remaining excuses from Satan’s.