178 Quiz Answer

This week’s quiz answer.

Eeyore is a character in the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A. A. Milne. He is generally characterized as a pessimistic, gloomy, depressed old grey stuffed donkey who is a friend of the title character, Winnie-the-Pooh.

(Also for Three Word Wednesday and ABC Wednesday: "B" is for "bleak")

Here’s this week’s Berownial quiz question:

“We’ve been thinking about setting up an intervention for one of our friends, but we don’t know how to go about it.  So we thought you’d be the natural one to ask.”

“Well, I’ve been involved in several interventions, but I’m far from the expert on the topic.  So often these days interventions are used because the subject suffers from drug addiction.  Your job is to convince him to check into a rehabilition center for treatment.”

“No, that wouldn’t apply in this case.  We’re pretty sure he’s not ‘using.’”

“Then he’s probably a boozer.  By the way, what’s his name?” 

“We’d rather not give his name.  Could we just refer to him as ‘the subject’?  And I would be derelict if I didn't mention that his problem has nothing to do with alcohol.”

“Okay, let’s see.  He’s into gambling in a big way?”

“Nope, not that either.  I apologize for not coming straight to the point.  Our friend, the subject, is  – well, he wanders about gloomy and depressed, almost all the time.  He always has this bleak outlook.  He’s a manic-depressive except that there’s no manic; just the other thing.”

“And you’ve talked to him about this?”

“Yeah, but he won’t change.  He’s stubborn as a mule, which come to think of it he resembles in a number of ways.  He’s been our friend for years – because basically he’s a pretty decent sort – but we’re all tired of his attitude.”

“From what you’ve said, my guess would be that he likes to live alone?  And he’s probably always in gray; no bright colors?”

“Right, exactly.  He lives off in an area known as Hundred-Acre Wood.  When we drop around he always says he’s glad to see us, but he sure doesn’t act like it.” 

“And that gloominess affects others?  Members of your group show signs of cognitive vulnerability?”

“Uh, I – of what?”

“In other words, he makes others gloomy too?”

“Right.”

“Well, there’s probably no nearby institution you could check him into – not that it matters because it would seem the subject would refuse to go.  And there's no way to medicate the problem.  My advice is, he’s your friend so why not just accept him as he is?”

(Also submitted to Sunday Scribblings.)

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is: give us the name of “the subject”?