There seemed to be any number of ways to make hash of the bird…Mimi went to work on the edge of each eyelid, one after the other…Stabler complimented Mimi on her work. The zoologist cautioned Mimi: Be careful the stitches aren’t too tight or too loose, and that the needle never pricks the hawk’s eyes. With no visual distractions, a falcon can be made dependent on the will of the falconer-the sound of his voice, the touch of his hands. But in order to train a falcon the way Henry VIII’s falconers did it, the bird’s eyelids should be temporarily sewn shut. Stabler explained that eyelids protect them as they dive at speeds upwards of two hundred miles per hour. They consulted the local zoologist for guidance on training. Young Don and Mimi, parents of four boys at the time, trapped their first bird of prey, a red-tailed hawk. A pastime of the Galvin family in Hidden Valley Road, falconry involves trapping a bird and training it to be completely dependent on the bidding of the falconer by “seeling” its eyes-stitching its eyelids closed. Originating in ancient times as a form of hunting, it became a sport and status symbol of the nobility in medieval Europe. I never expected to learn a haunting little detail about falconry. I expected loads of medical research and new scientific insights…more than anything, I expected to be moved by the story. I expected to learn about the part genetics play (six siblings!). I expected to learn more about the disorder, how it manifests as a distorted, alternate reality, affecting a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Over Thanksgiving break from school, I read a book about a family of twelve children, six of whom (all boys) were diagnosed with schizophrenia: Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family. Seel: to close the eyes of (a bird, such as a hawk) by drawing threads through the eyelids. Seel: close (a person’s eyes) prevent (someone) from seeing.
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