Oildale: The new blog storybook series
Posted by drblt at 4/29/2009 11:49 AM 
Categories: oildale, blog storybook series
Tags: bakersfield sound underground oildale blog storybook series
Categories: oildale, blog storybook series
Tags: bakersfield sound underground oildale blog storybook series
Oildale
by Bruce L. Thiessen, Ph.D., aka Dr. BLT
Dale Bickert, the man they call "Oil Dale," walked into the front door of his Oildale home after a hard-day's-work out in the oil fields. His wife, Dill, was in the kitchen with their son, Bobby, and their foreign exchange student from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Arlie Snow, who claimed to be a nephew of the late, great Canadian country singer, Hank Snow.
The new radio show out of Marin County, Bakersfield and Beyond was playing in the background. The show, originally streamed from http://www.kwmr.org, was being transmitted from the CB radio Bobby had in his truck. Bobby was sitting in his truck in the garage, where he liked to hang out with his laptop computer and a six-pack of beer.
Bobby had just returned from a college class he was taking with Dr. BLT called Family Dynamics. He was training to become a psychologist. The reason? He realized that, as a bartender at Trout's, he was listening to people's problems all day long, yet not getting paid nearly as much as Dr. BLT, whom he had discovered at http://www.myspace.com/drbltrocks
By transmitting the radio show via his CB, Bobby felt like he was part of the radio crew at KWMR. His textbook sat beside him next to the 6-pack of Moosehead beer, untouched. His favorite theorist was Murray Bowen, simply because his last name sounded like Owens, and he was a big Buck Owens fans.
Bobby knew nothing whatsoever about Bowen's hypothesis regarding "transgenerational impact of mother-child symbiosis in the development and maintenance of schizophrenia"* or about that pesky "unresolved symbiotic attachment to mother"* that contributes to "unfulfilled emotional needs" in children---the ones those poor kids carry over into adult relationships that fall apart so readily, or, worse, hold together long after they should have fallen apart. He was on the CB radio, and "in the zone," as he called it, and that was all that mattered for Bobby.
In the kitchen, it was the clanging of dishes being washed and put away, rudely interfering with "Bobby's CB radio show" as he proudly called it.
"Hey, they're playing Canadian tunes tonight. Isn't that Tim Hus? Dude's real popular up in Saskatchewan, and Alberta, actually all across Canada," Arlie proclaimed boldly as he began setting the table. The reception ain't to good coming from Bobby's CB radio. I sure wish you folks had more computers in the house, or that Bobby would just come in here and play it directly.
"Since he heard that Canadian Paul Brandts cover of the song, Convoy, he's been a real CB radio nut, and he thinks playing the show over the CB radios kind of gives it more of a retro feel," Dill explained. Dale had fallen asleep on the sofa, even before he had a chance to ask Dill for some of that cold Canadian beer Arlie had smuggled across the border....
To be continued.
* Goldenberg, H., and Goldenberg, I., Family Therapy, An Overview, Thomson Brooks/Cole, 2008, 2004; p. 176-77.
Dill continued working in the kitchen, feeling trapped. It had been hard enough to deal with Bobby, but then Dale had insisted on getting a foreign exchange student, and now she had to watch over Arlie, too. He was a nice enough kid, but Dill needed some time for herself.
She had a dream of becoming a professional make-up artist. She had always loved playing with make-up, and she thought she would be good at it, but none of the men in the family took her seriously.
She thought about Bobby and all of his talk about "unfulfilled needs" that he was learning in school...he never noticed that the same thing was happening to his own mother in his own house. Dill sighed with frustration as she took the sauce off the stove to cool.
Worst of all, she had never forgiven her father for naming her after his favorite pickle.
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Bobby's been telling her lately that she shouldn't hold on to that kind of anger at her father. He's pointed out that it could have been worse, she could have been named Gherkin like her brother. Her brother who she hadn't talked to in 10 years. Dill thought back to growing up with Gherkin. He was a good brother but he got away with murder. Dill's parents were very strict with her but Gherkin had very few rules. When he started doing those drugs, that's when he changed. Bobby tells her that her family of origin was dysfunction and there were no clear boundaries for Gherkin. Dill doesn't really understand what he means. All she knows is that she misses the sweet boy that was her brother. He was her first real friend.
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Dale came home from work, and Dill didn't even notice him. He shook his head, wondering if she was still dreaming about that silly makeup thing. Dale didn't understand at all sometimes. He couldn't understand Bobby lately, either.
Dale had picked up Bobby's psychology book and read some, trying to understand. He read about this fellow Bowen, but near as Dale could see, this Bowen had no right telling families how to function better when he had messed up so bad with his daughter, Mary. She was intelligent but seriously disturbed...apparently she was on Prozac and trying to do addiction therapy for unsuccessful country singers. Sad. It looked as though some of the other therapists had pretty delusional daughters, too.
Well, Dale didn't know about all that dysfunction stuff, but he did know about trauma. He remembered the day his mom went to prison and sighed. That was traumatic. Dale thought he knew what Dill's problem was, too...she had never been the same since she and her brother Gherkin had parted on such bad terms after the traumatic suicide of their younger sister, Relish.
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See Relish was a transgender, formally known as Pickle. He had always felt that he was supposed to be a women and was determined to make his outside match his feelings. in general his family did not approve of his feelings and actions of his feelings.Every family member except for his aunt and uncle, Millie and Albert. They felt that they were not entitled to judge him and they loved him no matter what. Being a very religious family, they thought only God should judge him.
Since gender had always been an issue with Pickle he decided at the age of 15 to get a sex change. His parents were unaware of his plan. He started saving money in a huge jar hidden in his closet.Spending every minute wishing he was a women at the age of 20 he finally have enough money to make his dreams come true.
After his parents found out his plan to get a sex change they kicked him out of the house. He then relocated to his supportive aunt and uncles house. This move really upset him but he decided to go on with his plan. He started going through the process to get a sex change. He was so excited to finally have his sex match his gender and now he could finally be happy. Now known as Relish she was finally a women. The only problem is that she really felt no different. She still felt like there was so much missing. In the end this missing feeling eventually led to her suicide 2 years later.
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