Before 2024 San Diego Comic-Con fades in the rear view mirror, I want to share some of the things I have learned and experienced about SDCC over the years.
I attended my first DSCC in 2017. I had intended to go in 2016 but my husband planned a surprise trip to Scotland in honor of our 53rd wedding anniversary!
No complaints because I had a grand time. Don’t want to get distracted from my mission, but here’s a few photos to explain why I chose Scotland in 2016.
We visited the stand in for Craigh na Du. A lovely, quiet, tree-covered mound with a lot of sheep. In the distance you can see Loch Rannoch (photo, left), the site where Claire and Ned Gowan (ep 105) quote from the poet John Donne.
Next is the shop window where Claire contemplates buying a pair of vases (ep 101). The site was supposedly Inverness but the filming actually took place in the village of Falkland in Fife.
I stood on a picnic table to create this short video of Culloden Battlefield and Drumossie Moor. The building in the distance is the Visitor’s Center. The video was actually made in 2017 as my daughter and I returned to Scotland one a year later! 💙
So, now you know why I didn’t go to the 2016 SDCC. I have been to every SDCC since then except during COVID shutdown.
The following is a short history of this fantastic event.
The first SDCC was held in 1970 with 100 attendees! Now, the attendance is well of 135,000 people, annually. These are attendees with badges or press passes. Many more people gather outside the venue to participate in associated events and activities.
Today, SDCC is held in the beautiful San Diego Convention Center. It is the long building to the right of the palm tree-lined boulevard and is located near the waterfront. It is huge – 2.6 million square feet of floor space. This year, it offered over 2,000 hours of comics, anime, gaming, discussions, workshops and other events relating to the popular arts.
The exhibit hall part is 460,00 square feet of floor space with over 1,000 exhibitors. Aisles are always packed with attendees buying all types of merchandise associated with the Comic-Con genre.
SDCC even spreads onto nearby buildings outside the San Diego Convention Center.
This year, I attended several panels, walked the exhibit hall, visited various exhibits, met with friends, and spoke with attendees.
But, one of my favorite parts of SDCC is the cosplay! What is cosplay? According to Wikipedia, the term “cosplay is a portmanteau of “costume play;” it is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character.”
And, believe me, cosplayers take their characters very seriously!
The following are some of my favorites!
This is Ruby Rhod from “The Fifth Element.” Many claim he was the original influencer! You may not know, but Prince was originally cast for this role but withdrew because of costuming issues so the part went to Chris tucker.
And, my personal favorite: Day of the Dead character. I now wish I had asked to photo the back of her magnificent hat. It was covered with flowers, skulls, candles, and other symbols. Stunning costume! 😍
This is my final post of 2024 SDCC. Saying farewell until next year with shaka sign (hang loose) from me and my longtime Comic-Con buddies, Jody and Jim from Hawaii.
Three weeks ago, after posting Anatomy Lesson #41, The Sad Demise of Angus Mohr, I promised I would blog about my Scotland Outlander Immersion Tour. Family and friend’s summer visits are also over so it is “show and tell” time.
What follows in this blog is part one of my splendid 2016 Scotland Outlander Immersion Tour. Mind, I did not know Scotland was on the horizon this year. The trip was a gift from conniving hubby of 53 years aided by an equally sly oldest daughter.
We left the Pacific Northwest in early June, over-nighted in D.C., flew to Reykjavik, Iceland (Photo A), and finally landed in Glasgow. Why did we fly 8,312 convoluted miles when only 4, 572 miles separate Oregon and Glasgow? Only hubby knows! Just joshing. It is because these days, Icelandair tickets are very affordable.
Photo A
Arriving at noon in Glasgow, we immediately hailed a taxi to Every Day Athlete (EDA) Gym as I was late, I was late, for a very important date: a personal training (PT) session with this handsome Irish lad, Patrick O’Brien, co-owner of EDA Gym (Photo B). A multi-talented man, he also acts in theater, films, and some TV.
EDA Gym is the establishment that partners with Sam Heughan to produce the MyPeakChallenge (MPC) program. If you are not a MPC member, you might consider joining. The program focuses on improving personal health through exercise and diet while raising money for Sam’s Bloodwise charity, a worthy cause supporting research into all forms of blood cancers. This year the MPC raised a staggering £225,000 ($295,000 US).
Photo B
Gentleman Patrick wasn’t prepared for my almost 74 y.o. body (I did not warn him about my age) and given that I had flown all night, went fairly easy on me despite pushups, lunges, kettle bells, and shoving around this nasty hunk of steel affectionately known as “the prowler” (Photo C). The apparatus, which in my view should be more aptly named “The Beast,” had only 25kg added weight – a nearby prowler held an additional 75kg! A young laddie walked by and taking pity on my (ahem) struggles with the metal monster offered encouraging words. I needed them!
Patrick was friendly, welcoming, helpful, competent, and professional and gave me a great PT session. Thank you, Patrick! More about him in my next installment.
Photo C
After the PT session, I found a quiet corner and zoned into my usual 45 minute yoga routine while the room echoed with grunts, blows, and whacks from male and female members who were sparring with Muay Thai combat sport (Photo D). Grins were apparent despite the intense competition. Cooling down, a very friendly Jamie, cousin to John Valbone (co-owner), wanted to talk. Guess what we talked about? Anatomy and physiology, naturally!
Photo D
Being retired academics, the next day found my husband and I trekking to the University of Glasgow. Crossing the River Kelvin, we were greeted by a statue of Lord Kelvin, the great mathematical physicist and engineer (Photo E). This Irish-Scottish scientist taught at the University of Glasgow for 55 years! During that time, he invented a maritime compass and a tide gauge, worked out problems for laying the first transatlantic telegraph cable, and accurately determined the temperature of absolute zero for which he is rightly honored by the temperature measurement, degrees kelvin.
Photo E
If we thought the University of Glasgow was just another academic institution (we did not!), we were quickly disabused of that notion as it was founded in 1451 and is the fourth oldest university in the English-speaking world! It has produced some of the most famous physicians, mathematicians, and engineers of the scientific arena. Its iconic stone bell tower dominates the horizon making it very easy to locate (Photo F).
Photo F
At the University, I quickly made a bee-line for The Hunterian Museum, the oldest public museum in Scotland. Named for William Hunter (1718-1783), physician, scientist, and anatomist (fist pump!), he is famous for studies of cartilage and bone. The museum houses not only his anatomical, zoological, and scientific instruments, but also a fine array of coins, minerals, paintings, prints, and books as well as geological, archaeological, and ethnographic collections (Photo G). A reminder to book readers: Diana briefly writes about William’s brother, John (also physician and anatomist), in her 7th book, “An Echo in the Bone.”
Photo G
This poorly healed fracture of a left tibia is one among many fascinating Hunterian specimens (Photo H). The fracture was not reduced properly (or at all) so the bony parts healed in an overlapped position (Anatomy Lesson #40, “Snap, Crackle, Pop! or How Bones Heal”). The healed leg was likely 2-3 inches shorter than the presumably normal right leg and the sufferer undoubtedly had great difficulty walking; reminded me of Colum’s poorly mended limbs (Anatomy Lesson #27, “Colum’s Legs and Other Things too!”).
Photo H
Last image is William’s microscope (Photo I). Although a beautiful instrument, it is a far cry from today’s powerful light microscopes (Anatomy Lesson #34, The Amazing Saga of Human Anatomy). William lived during the Scottish age of enlightenment (1600-1800) when scientists challenged superstition and injustice by arguing for the use of reason. Scotland was a leader in that movement causing the French philosopher, Voltaire, to comment “We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilization.” Oh, and in case book readers forgot, Diana also includes Voltaire in her third book, “Voyager.” Go, Diana! Rah!
Photo I
A quick hike down the street To visit Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens, featuring the famous and stunning Kibble Palace, erected in 1873 (Photo J). The site includes several glass buildings each containing a wondrous array of everything plant.
Photo J
My personal favorite was a room titled “Dangerous Plants” which contains “Little House of Horrors” – type specimens (Photo K) such as these ethereal but deadly pitcher plants, able to digest insects as well as small vertebrates such as frogs and wee snakes. I felt right at home as we have our own version of pitcher plants here in the Pacific Northwest at Darlingtonia State Natural Site.
Photo K
Evening found us back at the inn, foot weary but deeply gratified after 6+ miles of stumping Glasgow’s streets and sidewalks. That evening our seven tour members met for a personal concert by Gillebrìde MacMillan, better known to us as Gwyllyn the Bard. He shared a number of Gaelic ballads rendered in his fabulous a cappella tenor voice.
He also shared this fun story: Planning to arrive well-groomed, he got a hair cut before filming his wonderful singing sequence for Starz episode 103, The Way Back. However, Outlander hair folks were bummed because they had planned to attach a wig using his own locks! Sans that option, they resorted to glue. According to Gillebrìde, removing the sticky stuff was verra painful!
Gillebrìde ended his performance by showing a painting recently presented to him by a fan (Photo L). We all agreed it was an excellent rendering of him as Gwyllyn the Bard. As Jamie once said, “The Welshman would be welcome at any Laird’s hearth” (Starz episode 103, The Way Out).
Photo L
The following morning, we boarded a comfortable, roomy, custom-made van. Our group included folks from Canada, Florida, Indiana, and Oregon. Our tour guide was Scotsman, Hugh Allison. Tall, ginger-haired, gregarious, and knowledgeable, he was the perfect resource for us Outlander-hungry fans. Topping it all off, Hugh is also a Gaelic-speaker so he was able to translate the language and was an endless source of Highland tales and history. Off to a grand start!
Our first stop was Doune Castle in the Sterling district (Photo M). This imposing ediface served as Castle Leoch and was also featured in that delightful British film, Monty Python and The Holy Grail.
We happily climbed stairs, visited the kitchen, admired the great hall, and saw the lord’s tower, curtain wall, music gallery, cellars, and courtyard.
Photo M
Clearly, Castle Doune and Castle Leoch are dopplegangers as evident from this scene when Claire, Jamie and Dougal’s party approach the castle courtyard (Starz episode 102, Castle Leoch).
The Doune kitchen sports a massive 16’ open oven, large enough to roast an entire ox with room to spare (Photo N)! It even has its own drain (left back corner) into which residues were flushed.
Photo N
Doune oven served as prototype for the set version of Castle Leoch’s puir oven (or so says Letitia) – the one used to roast dozens of birds as beloved Mrs. F trills, “Baste it, girl, baste it!” (Starz episode 104, The Gathering).
Outdoors, along the east wall of Castle Doune, a charming, grassy flower-strewn field grabbed our attention (Photo O).
Photo O
We were delighted to discover this verdant pasture was also site of the shinty game (Starz, episode 104, The Gathering) where team-Jamie was doing swell until Dougal laid waste to a number of combatants as he wielded his kilt-kick and shinty-stick! There’s Jamie hoofing it down the center!
Leaving Castle Doune, we motored to Falkland, the village posing as 1945 Inverness. Here we wandered the streets, checked out sites, and enjoyed a delicious lunch at a local pub. A beautiful stone fountain dominates the town square (Photo P).
Photo P
You have seen this fountain before. Recall Starz episode 101, Sassenach? Of course ye do! Jamie’s ghost waits at the fountain, standing in the pouring rain, as he watches Claire fight her curls and swear in the upper right window of Mrs. Baird’s Bed & Breakfast. Same corner window, same corner of fountain. Score!
On main street is a quaint general store specializing in curios (Photo Q).
Photo Q
Mayhap you recognize it as the same window where Claire, who has never owned a vase, contemplates buying one (Starz, episode 101, Sassenach). From Outlander book:
My gaze lingered on a shop window filled with household goods—embroidered tea cloths and cozies, pitchers and glasses, a stack of quite homely pie tins, and a set of three vases.
I had never owned a vase in my life.
Evening found us in the quaint town of Aberfeldy where we enjoyed superb lodgings, nestled amid beautiful highland hills. We spied an iconic red British phone box (Photo R) but, sadly, no Dr. Who with his blue tardis to whisk us back to 18th century Jamie!
Photo R
Next morning, I enjoyed an awesome breakfast (Photo S) – steamy, creamy parritch laced with whisky! Oats were cooked in cream with just a hint of whisky flavor. Divine!
King Louis really didn’t know what he was missing (although Jamie did leave out the whisky bit). Instead, Louis declares through gritted teeth “The King has never acquired a taste for peasant food…” (Starz episode 202, “Not in Scotland Anymore.” ). Course, that is why he was straining on the royal pot, puir king!
Photo S
After breakfast, our group assembled on the steps of the inn where we were joined by guess who (Photo T)? No, not Rupert and Angus (although that would have been fun!) but our favorite Highland couple were waiting to greet us. They were rarin’ to go!
Photo T
Our travels quickly took us past the Scottish village of Dull, sister “city” of Boring, Oregon (Photo U). I know Boring very well as my hair dresser has a salon there, a scant ten miles from my home. Dull and Boring – a match made in heaven. Snort!
Photo U
Later that day as we motored under bright blue skies dotted with white, fluffy clouds, Hugh pulled the van over and suggested we take a little “walk in the heather.” Stepping out of the van, we were thunderstruck at the sight! In the distance was a modest grass-covered dun, it’s only inhabitants a herd of beautiful Highland Cheviot sheep.
We approached the site with an almost reverential attitude because we had arrived at Craigh na Dun (Photo V)! There stood the grassy knoll where Claire and Frank watched Mrs. Graham lead her followers in the ancient Druid ritual to call up the sun. This was the hill where Claire Beauchamp Randall places her hands on a standing stone and travels 202 years into the past! Here was the site where Claire’s heart breaks as she leaves Jamie to return to her own time. OK, I confess, I shed a few tears, and the place gave me goose flesh (Anatomy Lesson # 6, “Claire’s Hair – Jamie’s Mane” or “Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ!”)!
Photo V
Atop the dun, the site enjoys no standing stones but it was a perfect place to re-recreate that pivotal moment when time performs its daring flip-flop. The hill bears patches of turf where the stones were erected and then removed. Kudos to the Outlander crew for returning the site to what appeared to be its original state (Photo W)!
Photo W
A friendly wooly ewe and two darling lambs eyed us a little warily (Photo X – one babe is behind her rump). She was very curious about us time travelers. Apparently, we were messing with her fairy hill.
I swear the place is more than a bit eerie. Weather started out quiet and very still; moments later, the sky changed from bright blue to overcast and the wind came up sharply and bit through our jackets. Unlike the ewe, we had no wooly coat to keep us toasty warm.
Photo X
Turning to the west, ewe, oops, I mean you might recognize the next view. Atop the grassy Craigh, we see distant lochs visible in Starz episodes101, 108, 111, and 213 (Photo Y).
Photo Y
Different time of year and different photo angle but the same site where Jamie and Claire prepare for her passing through the stones, back to her own time….back to Frank (Starz episode 213, Dragonfly in Amber). Sob!
Are you a wee bit dubious that this is “the place”? Then, please note the bent tree on the far side of the hill, a sure sign of Craigh na Dun (Photo Z)! “Green, green, it’s green they say, on the far side of the hill!”
BTW, the rosy hue of the sky and treetops isn’t due to sunset or the northern lights, it is caused by finger-near-the-lens syndrome – sure sign of a freshman photographer. Let’s just say the fairies did it!
Photo Z
This is the same bent tree the dancing Druid sits on after returning for a lost bauble (Starz episode 101, Sassenach).
And, the same bent tree from the last scene of Outlander season two as Claire watches a glorious sunrise over the largest stone – her precious portal back to Jamie (Starz episode 213, Dragonfly in Amber)!
Then, it was our time to depart. Buh bye, Craigh na Dun (Photo ZZ)! So sad, feeling bad, but time to go. Tick tock; tick tock
Photo ZZ
From A to ZZ, you have seen the first part of my marvelous Outlander tour. More fun Outlander sights and sites in the next blog. Watch for it!
Greetings anatomy students! Flurry over the Outlander premier has abated and S.2 is well underway so it is time for another anatomy lesson. Yay! The bell has rung and class is in session! This anatomy lessons turns our attention to the poorly understood act of emotional crying.
As always, we’ll use Starz images to set the stage for our lesson. Beginning with S.2 opening theme, we are greeted with excellent images of emotional weeping. Claire’s tears flow as she desperately pleads with Jamie after his torture at the hands of the Bloody Blackguard (Starz episode 116, To Ransom a Man’s Soul)!
Her fury is quickly followed with helpless tears of loss and grief as she collapses amid the towering stone monoliths capping Craigh na Dun!
Wandering the road to Inverness, Claire meets a kindly Scotsman. She collapses in desperate sobbing after he reveals, yes indeed, the British won the Battle of Culloden! We empaths shed tears along with our beautiful, courageous heroine!
This quote from Diana’s Dragonfly in Amber book adds depth to Claire’s desolation:
I woke three times in the dark predawn. First in sorrow, then in joy, and at the last, in solitude. The tears of a bone-deep loss woke me slowly, bathing my face like the comforting touch of a damp cloth in soothing hands. I turned my face to the wet pillow and sailed a salty river into the caverns of grief remembered, into the subterranean depths of sleep.
Time to start this tearfilled lesson (sob) with a brief anatomical overview. Unless one suffers from an unfortunate condition such as dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca), tears flow under three different conditions: base-line tear production, non-emotional tearing, and emotional weeping. Regardless of the cause, all three types involve lacrimation (Latin, lacrima, meaning tear), the production of tears. So, sharpen your scalpels and let’s dissect each type of tear, one-at-a-time.
Base-line Tears: We learned in Anatomy Lesson #30, “Aye, Eye – The Eyes, Part 2,” each eyeball is equipped with a lacrimal apparatus which produces and drains tears. That apparatus includes the following features.
In the upper outer corner of each bony orbit (Anatomy Lesson #30, “Aye, Eye – The Eyes, Part 2,”) lies the small but powerful lacrimal gland (Image A). Most of the gland lies inside the bony orbit but a small part projects into the upper eyelid. Small ducts (channels) pierce the conjunctiva (transparent membrane) and convey the secretion onto the eyeball surface.
The tri-laminar tear film (Image A) is composed of an inner mucous (adj.) layer produced by mucous cells of the conjunctiva, a middle aqueous layer produced by the lacrimal gland, and an outer oil layer produced by tarsal glands of the eyelids (Anatomy Lesson #29, “The Eyes Have It! – The Eyes, Part 1”). The tear film represents basal tearing and it is critical to the health of exposed eye surfaces.
Image A
The tear film is continuously renewed and then drained by the following structures. Closure of the eyelids moves the tear film toward two small openings, the lacrimal puncta (pl.), at the nasal end of each eyelid (Image B – lacrimal apparatus of right eye). Each punctum (find yours) drains into one of two lacrimal canaliculi, tiny channels which empty into a reservoir, the lacrimal sac. From the lacrimal sac, tears traverse the nasolacrimal duct and drain into the ipsilateral (same side) nasal cavity. Remember, each eye has its own lacrimal apparatus.
The tear film doesn’t just give Jamie his sparkling bonny blue orbs; rather, it serves three important purposes:
Protects and lubricates exposed surfaces of the eyeball.
Washes away foreign particles.
Reduces the risk of eye infections (antibacterial).
Image B
Non-Emotional Tearing: Also known as reflex tearing, non-emotional tear production is a response to eye irritants. If the exposed eyeball is insulted, the lacrimal glands are stimulated to produce a flood of tears which overwhelms the lacrimal drainage system. Having no adequate outlet, they escape the eyelids and run down the face.
What are the causes of non-emotional tearing? Well, foreign bodies, objects that enter the eye from outside the body, are the most common cause. Although intuitively obvious, here are some important clues that a foreign body may have taken up residence in your eyeball:
Pressure
Discomfort or pain
Sensation of something “in the eye”
Extreme tearing (yes!)
Photophobia (pain or discomfort with light exposure)
Excessive blinking
Redness or bloodshot conjunctiva (image C)
Image C
And just so you know, the following foreign objects are the most common causes of non-emotional tearing:
eyelashes
dried mucus
sawdust
dirt
sand
cosmetics
contact lenses
metal particles
glass shards
Those who read Anatomy Lesson #29, “The Eyes Have It! – The Eyes, Part 1” may recall examples of the now-popular eyelash jewelry, including among other delights, crystals glued to the eyelashes! Who thought that was a good idea? Well, if one is not verra careful, these fake jewels can wreak havoc as foreign bodies! Case in point, crystals float on the tear film overlying conjunctiva and cornea (Image D). These were likely applied to the upper surface of the lower eyelashes. The glue failed and the crystalline escapees drifted onto the eyeball surface.
Understand that if the conjunctiva is intact, objects deposited on the front of the eyeball cannot get lost behind it (Anatomy Lesson #30, “Aye, Eye – The Eyes, Part 2“). They can, however, scratch the cornea and cause infection so foreign bodies in the eye should be resolved STAT!
Image D
Then, there are really dangerous foreign bodies such as metal shards (Image E) that pierce the transparent conjunctiva and embed in the sclera (Anatomy Lesson #32, “A Real Eye Opener – The Eye, Part 4“). Such objects can scratch the inner eyelids and cause infections. Och, I bet that hurts!
Protective eyewear can help prevent such injuries and should certainly be worn if working with:
saws, hammers, grinders, lawn mowers, and other power tools
dangerous or toxic chemicals
Image E
Non-emotional tearing also follows exposure to irritating substances such as the whiff of onions (Image F) or noxious agents such as insecticides, perfumes, detergents, smoke, dust, etc.
Image F
Well then, fair’s fair (Image G)! Too gruesome? If yes, why are ye watching/reading Outlander? Hee, hee.
Image G
Speaking of noxious substances, if an across-the-counter product splashes into the eye, you can immediately relieve discomfort and assist tear formation by washing the eyeball. Yes, you read it correctly! Every science laboratory worth its salt sports an eye wash station as part of its safety equipment. Since few homes have such an apparatus, you can use a sink faucet or garden hose. Run a stream of cool water (NOT hot!) from the tap or hose. Open the irritated eye and turn head so the affected eye is DOWN. Let the water run across the eyeball from the nose towards the ear (Image H). Do NOT run water from the ear towards nose! Why? Because the irritant will flow into the lacrimal drainage structures and nose. Voila, now the problem is compounded!
Flush the eye for 15 minutes! Yes your water bill will skyrocket, but the irritant must be thoroughly diluted. Depending on the substance (think acids, lye, etc.), hie to the nearest urgent care facility or call EMT/fire department. In the meantime, wash!
Image H
Finally, if something splashes into both eyes, use a garden hose or a faucet spray nozzle. Look down and widely opening both eyes, allow water to flush them simultaneously. Do not turn the head to either side.
The following is an informative and well-done Youtube video that includes images of how to deal with splashes involving both eyes. Note that although it starts with showing a one eye splash, later it demos both eyes involvement.
Emotional Tearing: Now, we get to the nitty-gritty! Also known as psychic tearing, this is the same as crying, the shedding of tears trigger by emotions. Crying synonyms include weeping, wailing, sobbing, whimpering, squalling, mewling, and bawling. Humans cry if we feel grief, stress, sadness, happy, overwhelmed, pleasure, anger, and suffering. But, the bottom line is, scientists understand very little about why emotions provoke human crying!
Again, OutlanderS.2 comes to our rescue: Rage, grief, and despair fuel Claire’s tears in Starz episode 201, Through a Glass, Darkly. But, in the same episode, Frank shares with us fine examples of emotional tears!
Tears of gratitude – Claire has finally returned to him. He doesn’t care who she bedded during her Highland gad-about, nothing could ever change the way he feels about her! No way, Jose!
Tears of wonder – After Claire reveals that she has a “bun in the oven”, Jack, oops, I mean Frank, is thrilled and responds with more pop up tears. Oh, my, he is delighted, desperately happy and “over the moon”! Ah, erm…wait! How could such a miracle happen because his doctor told him that …
Tears of fury – What? That red-haired bastard (weil, son of a bastard) knocked up his beloved Claire? Who the hey does that guy think he is? And, presto, just like that, Franks’s tears of joy turn into rivulets of rage! So much for his “nothing you could ever do” speech.
Recall not-her-name Sally and her alley cat friends (Starz episode 108, Both sides Now)? Frank came very close to sharing the same black-jack knuckle sandwich with Claire! Fist of fury!
In rapid succession, Frank delivers a wallop of emotion-ladened tears just in time for this lesson. TY, Frank. Much obliged!
Back to our lesson: many of us ken that newborns wail without tears. Their nascent lacrimal glands produce just enough baseline tears to moisten their eyeballs. Somewhere between 1-3 months the lacrimal glands develop enough to shed tear droplets in response to physical discomfort (Image I).
Around puberty, tears from emotional pain usually overtake those from physical discomfort. Gradually, with age and experience, people add moral crying in response to acts of courage and self-sacrifice or to symbols such as the flag of one’s country or to the sound of bagpipes (my personal favorite)!
Image I
Now, scientists do have insights about how tears and emotions are linked. Emotional crying is a complex secretomotor phenomenon characterized by the shedding of tears sans ocular irritation. The lacrimal gland is linked to the limbic system (Image J), part of the brain that processes emotions. The limbic system (waaaay too complex for this lesson) is hard-wired into the autonomic nervous system/ANS (the part you cannot voluntarily control). With the proper emotional trigger, the limbic system stimulates the ANS to release the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, a wee molecule which then stimulates the lacrimal gland to shed emotional tears. Ergo, emotions interpreted by the limbic system activate the ANS which releases acetylcholine which turns on the water taps! Voila, we sob with feeling! Pretty remarkable.
Image J
What we don’t understand is why do strong emotions cause us to cry? What is the purpose of emotional tears? Well, there are lots of ideas, one dating back more than 2,000 years.
Greek philosopher and scientist, Aristotle, posited that tears are waste products like urine and therefore, discarded by the body (Image K): “That they are of one nature is plain to the taste.”
Take comfort, Jamie! Claire isna the only healer to taste urine (deferred to a future lesson). Truth be told, dedicated physicians used to routinely taste their patient’s urine. Talk about the call of duty. Pitooey!
Image K
Here’s a good one…in the 1940s, American psychoanalyst and physician, Phyllis Greenacre, proposed that female weeping is a sign of penis envy and the way a woman can imitate a man urinating. A hypothesis to which I offer this scientific response: Snort!
Others have proposed that tears, like urine production, cleanse the blood. However, the average cry yields only about 20 tear droplets or the equivalent of 1 ml, a totally inadequate amount of fluid loss to alter blood composition.
Some suggest that crying purges the body of harmful chemicals produced under duress. Forty years ago, a biochemist found that emotional tears were richer in protein than non-emotional tears. Unfortunately, others failed to replicate his findings so they lost momentum. A basic tenet of scientific research is that independent laboratories must be able to replicate another’s results…. an excellent check and balance system.
However, later studies have shown that emotional tears contain elevated levels of prolactin (cuddle hormone), adrenocorticotropic hormone (induces adrenal cortex to release the stress hormone, cortisol), and leucine enkephalin (a natural painkiller). So, there may be merit to the idea of emotional purging. Verra complex, are our emotional tears!
Along a similar vein, Darwin proposed that in addition to lubricating the eyeballs, tears “serve as a relief to suffering,” and the idea that crying is cathartic remains viable but unproven. General wisdom suggests that emotional crying does make one feel better. But, why? Well, if misery is short lived, our mood may lighten by the time we finish a good cry. Or, in the midst of despair, something wonderful might happen to completely alter one’s mood such that eyes spout tears of joy!
Intriguingly, some researchers consider emotional crying as a social signal that a person needs nurturing; a sort of primal “shoutout” for help. One interesting study showed pictures of tearful faces to subjects. Within 50 milliseconds (.05 sec.) test subjects reported a boost in feelings of empathy and friendship towards people shown in such images. This very interesting hypothesis awaits further investigation.
Here’s some Outlander proof that social signals work: a mess of fans were ready, willing, and able to comfort that ginger-haired laddie as he wept at Wentworth Prison (Starz episode 115, Wentworth Prison)! Yep!
Here’s another fascinating aspect of emotional tearing. Boys and girls cry with equal frequency until puberty when something complex happens. In Western cultures, boys are conditioned to restrain tears such that women cry twice (one study says 5x) as frequently as men. Biology may also play a role as male puberty is marked by increased testosterone production and some studies hint that this male hormone helps suppress emotional tearing.
Even more interesting, in some social settings such as sports, male displays of feeling such as hugging, cheering, and crying are OK; perhaps because people expect emotions to run high at sporting events. Consider Mario Balotelli, a world class footballer (soccer in US) for team Italy. At the 2012 Euro final, Spain defeated Italy and Mario wept with deep regret (Image L). Apparently, this emotional display did nothing to hinder his career and may have helped it.
Finally, it seems that emotional crying in men can be downright desirable. Studies show that if powerful men display controlled weeping in response to sad or challenging situations, they are perceived as more competent than men who do not. Consider the lion-hearted WW II British PM, Winston Churchill, who has been dubbed the most tearful politician of all time!
Image L
Another consideration: scientists agree that animals shed tears to protect their eyes but also posit that humans are the only animals that cry based on feeling. Now, I ken that this supposition is bound to rouse some mighty powerful responses from readers who swear their pets display emotions (I’m pretty sure mine do)!
However, science can barely evaluate human emotions much less interpret the emotional status of animals. Understand that this scientific position makes psychic weeping in animals neither true nor false, just not provable at this point in time.
Image M
As if this isn’t enough of teary stuff to contemplate, photographer Maurice Mikkers has recently photographed evaporated human tears and found that no two are alike in salt and mineral deposition (Image N)! ”Every tear is as unique as a snowflake,” writes Maurice. The significance of this fascinating finding awaits further studies.
Image N
So, one may safely surmise that the scientific jury is still out on why humans engage in emotional crying. Love it or despise it, crying appears to be a complex, multifactorial response which is crucial to our well-being! Emotional tears are potent symbols of who we are as individuals and as members of the collective whole (such as Outlander fans), celebrating our deepest connections to the world.
Sniff! Now that Outlander has returned to Starz, where is my box of tissues? Awaiting new episodes, but thus far, my favorite emotional tears are those shed by Jamie after Claire declares, “take me home to Lallybroch” (Starz episode 111, The Devil’s Mark). Wake up lad! She’s baaaaack!
He slept on his back, as he usually did, hands crossed on his stomach, mouth slightly open. The last rays of daylight from the window behind me limned his face like a metal mask; the silver tracks of dried tears glinted on golden skin, and the copper stubble of his beard gleamed dully…I kissed his cheek, damp and salty.
I close this lesson with an amateur’s haiku poem in honor of Jamie’s emotional weeping:
