The Three Christs of Ypsilanti - Milton Rokeach [65]
December 8. Leon elaborates further on his Yeti delusion. Yeti people are cave-dwelling hermits who do not use fire, utensils, furniture or money; they have no anxiety about money, food, clothing or shelter.
December 17. Leon announces that he is almost ready to die the death. He is probably referring to the fact that he is about to come forth with a new identity.
December 28. Leon says, though at the time he says it we do not realize its full significance: “As for as I’m concerned, I consider myself a big pile of truthful shit, and I face the fact and admit it.”
He also announces his marriage to a woman who is his foster mother: “My mother is my wife. I call her Madame Yeti, first lady of the Universe.” When told that the records show that Mary Gabor was his mother, Leon replies: “The Old Witch isn’t my mother. She came three weeks ago. [Actually her visit had occurred almost four months before.] I told her to go back where she came from.”
January 11, 1960. At the meeting, Joseph asks if he can speak into the tape recorder. He then makes a speech about having saved the world. Leon decides that he wants to make a speech too. He talks to the machine, mouth close to microphone, and asks: “What do you think of this name, Dr. Righteous Idealed Dung?” Clyde laughs, and Leon responds: “I think it’s comical to a certain degree. The psychology is when you say ‘Dr. Righteous Idealed Dung’ they say ‘What kind of a doctor is he? Is he a Doctor of Shit? Why doesn’t he go on a farm and work?”’
When Leon is asked what he wants to be called, he replies: “It’s all included. You can call me Rex, R. I. Shit or Dung.”
Clyde is still laughing. Joseph, who hasn’t said anything, asks Leon to go find the song sheets.
“Dr. Righteous Idealed Shit at your service, sir,” Leon replies.
January 14. The meeting opens with the three men arguing over who is to be chairman. We ask what happened to the Chairman List.
“I gave it to Rex,” Joseph complains.
“I don’t have it,” says Leon. “It was done away with because of the negative insinuendo.”
—Insinuendo?—
“Insinuendo is insinuation toward innuendo. The implication of reincarnation through negativism. According to the particular day, Joseph, Mr. Cassel here, through indirect impression implied he was reincarnated. I tore it up to counteract the negative ideal.”
—Does this mean you and Joseph are not getting along?—
“As I said, it was the negative insinuendo. The fact that he came back from the grave in another body. He gave the impression of over-all superiority and I didn’t care for that.”
A few moments later, Leon interrupts me as I am speaking. He waves a card in my face. “I have an announcement to make!” he proclaims. “When I was a child of nine or ten I went to court and I wanted to sign my name Dr. Rex Rexarum and I couldn’t. Positive infusion was telling me to sign Dr. Righteous Idealed Dung, Sir, and I didn’t. So if I go to court again that’s the name I gotta sign right there, sir.” He shows me his new calling card:
A Truthfull salute to all the Jesus Christ’s
“Manliness”: from:
Dr. Righteous Idealed Dung Sir
Simplis Christianus Puer Mentalis
Doktor
—Does this mean your name isn’t Rex?—
It’s included in this.”
—What do you want us to call you?—
“If you want to say Dr. Dung, sir, that’s your privilege.”
—Is Rex incorrect?—
“If you care to say ‘Rex,’ I’ll say ‘Dung salutes Rex’; that’s manliness, sir.”
—What did you do with your other calling card?—
“I’ve done away with them, sir. It’s embodied in that, sir, Dr. R. I. Dung for short.”
“There is only one God,” says Joseph, “and nobody seems to know where He is.”
“He’s right here,” Leon replies. “Nobody else seems to know it.”
“I’m the One! I’m the big One!” yells Clyde.
—If I were to call you Leon, would you still object?—
“It’s not