Melvin Fridd and His Overactive Id
It was not usual for Melvin Fridd to wander the streets in broad daylight, in a state of extreme craziness and attired only in his underwear, recklessly waving his arms and bellowing harsh words at uncomprehending passersby, but when the spirit of devilry was upon him (or when he made the foolish mistake of consuming more than one cocktail before dinner), almost anything could, and unfortunately did, happen. Melvin was that sort of person.
Melvin quietly followed a diligent way of life that was outwardly safe, generally minding his manners and taking care not to offend anyone. Within himself, however, there was an entirely different Melvin, a wild-eyed Melvin with a fearless outlook, a bold Melvin who constantly strained at the chains of petty convention and vigorously strove to break free, once and for all. Melvin always endeavored, as best as he could, to stay on the path of restraint, but sometimes the other Melvin got the better of him.
Once, for no reason that Melvin could remember, he had attempted to bring a flock of sheep onto a downtown bus that was crowded with riders, putting him at odds with the driver of the bus and resulting in a particularly unpleasant experience. In another instance, he had tried (and failed) to take apart a skyscraper with his bare hands. Melvin never knew what dangerous thing he might do in a heedless moment.
Melvin finally went to see a psychiatrist, desperately hoping to discover what it was that prompted him to engage in random fits of strange behavior. After hearing Melvin's story, the psychiatrist concluded that Melvin was suffering from an overactive id, probably caused by many years of taking himself too seriously, and advised Melvin to "hang loose, take it easy, and lighten up." Melvin, feeling great relief, thanked the psychiatrist for his time and skipped homeward, whistling "Happy Days Are Here Again."
Melvin quietly followed a diligent way of life that was outwardly safe, generally minding his manners and taking care not to offend anyone. Within himself, however, there was an entirely different Melvin, a wild-eyed Melvin with a fearless outlook, a bold Melvin who constantly strained at the chains of petty convention and vigorously strove to break free, once and for all. Melvin always endeavored, as best as he could, to stay on the path of restraint, but sometimes the other Melvin got the better of him.
Once, for no reason that Melvin could remember, he had attempted to bring a flock of sheep onto a downtown bus that was crowded with riders, putting him at odds with the driver of the bus and resulting in a particularly unpleasant experience. In another instance, he had tried (and failed) to take apart a skyscraper with his bare hands. Melvin never knew what dangerous thing he might do in a heedless moment.
Melvin finally went to see a psychiatrist, desperately hoping to discover what it was that prompted him to engage in random fits of strange behavior. After hearing Melvin's story, the psychiatrist concluded that Melvin was suffering from an overactive id, probably caused by many years of taking himself too seriously, and advised Melvin to "hang loose, take it easy, and lighten up." Melvin, feeling great relief, thanked the psychiatrist for his time and skipped homeward, whistling "Happy Days Are Here Again."