Chris Gansert's Website

Bipolar

2010-02-10T04:57:06Z

Mental Illness is something that is hard to diagnose and treat. We have known since Chris was in middle school that he suffered from depression. It wasn't until near the end of his life that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. After reading about bipolar disorder, we can see that Chris seemed to display characteristics that people with bipolar disorder share. The following sites can provide you with some insight into what Chris was dealing with. This disease has no cure. People can live productive lives if provided with quality professional care. As part of this treatment, crisis intervention sometimes is required and with very serious depression, involuntary hospitalization may be necessary to prevent suicide.

The link to Time magazine provides one the best articles about bipolar disorder that I have seen. The article talks about Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Schumann, Vincent Van Gogh, Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway and Kurt Cobain and how they suffered from bipolar disorder. Some psychologists feel there is an artistic link. Chris certainly had artistic talents. Time has copyrighted the article and will not allow me to post it without paying $500.00 per year. Time will sell you the article if you are interested. Some of the article is available free on the site. Please take some time and look at these sites.

Thanks!!

SPEAK (Suicide Prevention Education Awareness for Kids)

Bipolar information

Bipolar Help

Detour Book

Time Magazine Article On Bipolar

Bipolar Self-Test

Signs of Suicide

Seasons - support group for survivors of suicide

Theater

2010-02-10T04:47:57Z

Chris had lead roles in the following plays while attending Essex Community College.

Salome' by Oscar Wilde
Big River by Roger Miller (member of chorus)
Twelfth Night by Shakespeare
A Phoenix Too Frequent by Christopher Fry
The Company of Wayward Saints by George Herman
Pterodactyls by Nicky Silver
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern by Tom Stoppard

Chris loved to act and anyone who knew him knows that he has acted his whole life. He was the class clown, who always made people laugh. Chris was the "the actor". If you had a chance to see him heal someone, you saw some of his best work. He would have made a convincing evangelist - he could "save" anyone except himself in the end. From being the class clown, to just making people laugh, Chris was "the actor". I think some of Chris's greatest acting was his ability to not let people know just how depressed he was. He told me his theme song in high school was "Tracks of My Tears". The verse goes something like this "people say I am the life of the party because I tell a joke or two but deep inside I am blue".

Anyone wanting to contribute the Scholarship fund we have set up at Essex Community College can make donations to:

Essex Foundation Drama Scholarship Fund (Chris Gansert)
7201 Rossville Blvd
Baltimore, MD 21237.

To see what is currently being performed at Essex Community College click here

Links

2010-02-10T04:19:40Z

Wish these people would

2010-02-10T02:54:38Z

Wish these people would

Stop calling my house

Leave me alone

I’m sitting happily on my couch

You act like my friend

But you’re really not

You’re just trying to sell me out

I will never cuss you out

But I’ll put the phone on hold

Because my friend once had your job

And I’m that much of a snob

But please stop calling

Written by: Christopher P. Gansert
Copyrighted by Philip Gansert 2003
All Rights Reserved

Old Habits

2010-02-10T02:54:03Z

Old habits die hard

Bury them in the back yard

Old friends are hard to loose

Especially the ones that use

Some things need to happen

Like putting gum in a napkin

There are things to keep and throw away

You’re the one with the final say

There’s a time to dive and a time to fake

But in the end it’s all for your sake

Written by: Christopher P. Gansert
Copyrighted by Philip Gansert 2003
All Rights Reserved

Lost Myself

2010-02-10T02:53:29Z

I lost myself
Chasing you
I thought you knew
I was falling
As fast as you came
You were gone
Who was right?
Who was wrong?
This is not a love song.
In the end
I was alone
Without a friend
Of my own
I took the pain
Out on myself
In the hospital
I found new health

This is not a love song

You lied and you cheated
Left me hopeless and defeated
I feel down but I got up

Written by: Christopher P. Gansert
Copyrighted by Philip Gansert 2003
All Rights Reserved

Bombs

2010-02-10T02:53:08Z

Bombs are hitting my
heart
Terrorists are never
smart
Missiles falling in my
path .
Iron shield will help to
Bash
Stolen love is twisted
Hate
loveless souls without
a fate
demons of destruction
try to hurt
this nation but can’t

Written by: Christopher P. Gansert
Copyrighted by Philip Gansert 2003
All Rights Reserved

MCJ Rap

2010-02-10T02:52:50Z

M- I want to be a Wrestler

C- I want to be an actor

J- We can all be Rappers if we try

J- Ooh it’s our dreams there passing us by

M- If I was a wrestler I’d

J- We can all be Rappers if we try

Look it’s our dreams they’re passing us by

C- If I was and actor of the Silver Screen

I’d change my name to Christopher Sheen

I’d stop the Baldwin’s from making bad movies

I’d appear on Baywatch to check out the floozies

Register with Chris Gansert.com!

2010-02-10T02:49:23Z

Registration will give the ability to:

1. Join the community. We've added a new way for you to register. You can join our website with your Twitter, AOL, Yahoo, Google and more accounts. Simple click the "Join this site" link to the right.

2. Sign the guestbook. We know you all love to write Chris messages, here is the place to do it.

3. Comment anyone? Throughout the site you will see a link that says "Comments". Clicking this link will show you what others have said about Chris' Poems. Why not read a poem and tell us what you think.

4. Keep in touch. Registering with the site will give us a way to get in touch with you. Remember every year we have a party for Chris at the Tavern. We'll be able to send a mass email to all members letting you know when and where.

College Night

2010-02-10T02:48:58Z

so it's college night
drunken girls alright
stupid frat boys get into a fistfight
a bottle to the noggin ya fell all right

You know I'm uptight
I just don't feel all right
about being here and doing this
My heart is full...

Written by: Christopher P. Gansert
Copyrighted by Philip Gansert 2003
All Rights Reserved

Followers

2010-02-10T02:48:32Z

So many followers'
what are you following
the beliefs of another follower
not knowing yourself or
how you feel
that's a big deal
I've followed before
but then I figured out
what they were about
you say you can be a leader
but you're just a cheerleader
for someone else's side
Never standing alone
in a group of followers you hide

Written by: Christopher P. Gansert

Copyrighted by Philip Gansert 2003

Light In My Room

2010-02-10T02:47:06Z

The light in my Room
is always on
I don't sleep
I pass out
Out late again
Remembering and Drinking
Realizing that I'm sleeping
It's OK
I'll be all right
a little banged up
still have my sight
I'll fight again
another night
Never will I hide
my pride
It keeps me alive
it's really all I got
without it
I'm out to dry

Written by: Christopher P. Gansert
Copyrighted by Philip Gansert 2003
All Rights Reserved

War

2010-02-10T02:46:47Z

The war
has just begun
when it's won
the sun
will shine
for seven days straight
just to escalate
the tempo
that we live
just waiting for
you to give
everything
how I know
we live
in a place of
true bliss
haunted by happiness
we live and
we die
god knows
we try
On a limited supply
getting hit when I'm high
in the depths of darkness
I lie
My mother waits alone
and does cry
If I could stop
what's happening
I just might
but then again
none of us really know
two speeds is all I know
fast and really fast
is how I crash
watch my splash
my jokes your laughter
my pain is a funny
funny disaster

Written by: Christopher P. Gansert
Copyrighted by Philip Gansert 2003
All Rights Reserved

Hear Voice

2010-02-10T02:46:44Z

Just to hear your voice
can make my day
your way of dealing
with life's grand mess
you're the one
that I do love best
I've had some woman
enough to know
But with you my love
will always grow
to lie next to forever
and share everything
That I'm just waiting for
my time to go
wish I didn't know
but I do
and I can't lie
Why
because I can't
get past what I'm
lying in
wanting to win
feeling like I'm losing
my soul is what
I'm abusing
Drink too much
thinking times are tough
But I'm just guessing
Because I'm not even here
filled with fear
I ran away

Written by: Christopher P. Gansert
Copyrighted by Philip Gansert 2003
All Rights Reserved

Lay Me Down

2010-02-10T02:45:35Z

Lay me down and box me in
Stand around and look at my coffin
Put roses and flowers on my chest
Now give me peace and let me rest
I feel something pulling from all around
The devil's been waiting to pull me down

Written by: Christopher P. Gansert
Copyrighted by Philip Gansert 2003
All Rights Reserved