anonymous says:
I think it should be a universal requirement that all blog posts have a picture of Howie Mandel. It just makes good sense.
Anonymous, whoever the heck you are, you rock! Of course, I agree. It makes me wonder, though: Has there been a flurry of Howie-infested blog posts of late? I have absolutely no problem with that.
Let me tell you why. I have always loved Howie Mandel, even back to his "St. Elsewhere" days. But I have a new-found respect for him. As the Wikipedia article about Howie says:
Mandel has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and mysophobia (fear of germs) to the point that he does not shake hands with anyone, including enthusiastic contestants on "Deal or No Deal," unless he is wearing latex gloves. Instead of shaking contestants' hands when they offer them, he will give the contestants congratulatory gestures such as tapping another's fist with his own fist, or putting his hands on their shoulders. Howie now takes medicine to control his condition and even pokes fun at himself for it.
He revealed on the "Howard Stern Show" that his shaved head is not related to natural hair loss, but to his mysophobia. He stated that the lack of hair makes him feel cleaner.
As someone who works professionally with mentally ill clients, I'm full aware of what Howie must go through everyday. And then he gets a job that requires him to stand in front of lights and hundreds of loud people, coming face-to-face with people who want to hug him and rub his head. It must be excruciating for him. And he does it with grace and his characteristic humor.
So, I will post yet another Howie photo, this time from his "St. Elsewhere" days:
If I ever meet Howie, I want to express my admiration for him. My husband, though, insists that I not, since it would probably embarrass Howie. One thing's for sure, if I did ever meet him, I wouldn't hug him (which is hard, since I'm a huggy person by nature) or touch him in any way. I feel so bad for him when the contestants on his show insist upon doing so. You can tell it's really hard for him, but he bravely deals with it and is funny and gracious. So I admire him greatly.
2 comments:
Ha! Good job! Keep those Howie references coming and I'll keep coming back. Howie has said he would do what he does for free..that he gets paid for what it takes to get him there because of his OCD. I'm also a long-time fan and when I watch old movies, such as Walk Like A Man where he actually had to lick someone's face...poor Howie : ( Must have ruined the rest of his day and night. Good for him that he put it out there so he doesn't have to do certain things anymore. What a role model he is for others with OCD...to have such a successful career and family, with a reputation for being a really nice guy. Good job, Howie! I also love figure skating..as a spectator sport..with local boy Scott Hamilton being a hero of mine..so after I finish working today I'm going to check out the rest of your blog. Yes, believe it or not, I am working right now. Have a great day today!
Umm..that extra punctuation I see in my post..blame it on not being fully awake, editing my post in my half-sleep state..please. Oh yeh, the rambling. Please blame that also on the half asleep thing.
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