The Doctor is No Longer in the House

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Abstract

all back then, but those who were “in the know,” typically from California, could rent an entire villa for next to nothing and enjoy the peaceful quiet. There was something remarkable about being in a place that had no electricity and no telecommunications. Mail came twice a week on the ferry and was left in a pile on a window sill at the tiny post office for people to find anything addressed to them.</p><p id="02e5">Along with all the other gaps in infrastructure, Yelapa also had no hospital or other medical facility. If you needed a doctor you either went by boat to PV, dealt with it yourself, or contacted the local brujo for help. When a large rock landed on top of my foot, breaking some of the small bones in it, I decided to go with the second choice and take care of it on my own.</p><h2 id="a03b">How I met Howard Hesseman</h2><p id="39e0">Howard Hesseman was staying in one of the small houses that had a gas freezer. We knew him because he was friendly with our next door neighbors as well as with a woman who had come to stay with us. So, as my foot began to swell, I hobbled to his cottage to ask for some ice. He told me to sit down and put together an ice pack, which I put on my foot and went on my way, feeling some relief from the pain I was in.</p><p id="7f46">Later that evening I ran into him again, when our neighbors toddler was stung by a scorpion. The neighbor came running into the tavern where I was eating dinner with my partner, begging for help. My boyfriend had some experience with this and ran off to offer assistance, while I remained behind, since I was in no shape to run. I did, however, speak Spanish, and so,

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when an unassuming older man asked me what all the fuss was about, I was able to explain to him what had happened. He told me his wife was a nurse and asked if he should get her and have her go help.</p><p id="fbff">Of course I said yes, and explained where the house was. I then headed there myself, meeting the nurse and the gentleman and led them the rest of the way to where the child was. Hesseman was downstairs, looking very worried. The little girl had rallied when my partner had administered a dose of antivenom, but had soon reverted and was going into convulsions. The nurse rushed upstairs and fortunately was able to stabilize the child.</p><p id="e922">Meanwhile, I remained in the main room with Howard and the local man. I didn’t know who he was , but Hesseman did and suggested that I ask for help with my foot. Within minutes I was getting hands on care by the local brujo, who massaged the bones back into place, tied my sneaker onto my foot, and told me not to remove it for a week. I did as I was told, and it healed nicely.</p><h2 id="0a65">Why I wrote this piece</h2><p id="4f1f">The articles I’ve read announcing his passing have all included a quote about his kindness and generosity. I decided to write about my own, very small and mundane experience with Howard Hesseman, because I can attest to that kind and generous spirit from my own, very brief, interactions with him.</p><p id="d215">If there’s a rock and roll heaven, I’m confident Dr. Johnny Fever will be spinning records when the band takes a break. The rest of us have lost yet another shining star, a man who was truly at the Head of the Class.</p></article></body>

Howard Hesseman was the nicest celebrity I ever met.

Howard Hesseman died today, at the age of 81. I chose the above photo because it reminded me of that iconic episode on WKRP in Cinncinati, when someone thought it would be a good idea to drop turkeys from a helicopter as a Thanksgiving giveaway.

You can read about Hesseman’s life and work, and see a photo of what he looked like when I met him in this Variety article.

I want to talk about when I met him and had the pleasure of spending a little bit of time with him in Mexico.

It was 1980 and I was staying in Yelapa for four months with my boyfriend. At that time Yelapa was a very sleepy little fishing village. To get there you either had to arrive by ponga, a small boat used for fishing and carrying visitors from Puerto Vallarta or by the ferry which came twice a week. You could also arrive by horse, through the jungle, but that trip took around eight hours and there were bandidos in the jungle, so no one I knew came that way.

The truth is very few people came to Yelapa at all back then, but those who were “in the know,” typically from California, could rent an entire villa for next to nothing and enjoy the peaceful quiet. There was something remarkable about being in a place that had no electricity and no telecommunications. Mail came twice a week on the ferry and was left in a pile on a window sill at the tiny post office for people to find anything addressed to them.

Along with all the other gaps in infrastructure, Yelapa also had no hospital or other medical facility. If you needed a doctor you either went by boat to PV, dealt with it yourself, or contacted the local brujo for help. When a large rock landed on top of my foot, breaking some of the small bones in it, I decided to go with the second choice and take care of it on my own.

How I met Howard Hesseman

Howard Hesseman was staying in one of the small houses that had a gas freezer. We knew him because he was friendly with our next door neighbors as well as with a woman who had come to stay with us. So, as my foot began to swell, I hobbled to his cottage to ask for some ice. He told me to sit down and put together an ice pack, which I put on my foot and went on my way, feeling some relief from the pain I was in.

Later that evening I ran into him again, when our neighbors toddler was stung by a scorpion. The neighbor came running into the tavern where I was eating dinner with my partner, begging for help. My boyfriend had some experience with this and ran off to offer assistance, while I remained behind, since I was in no shape to run. I did, however, speak Spanish, and so, when an unassuming older man asked me what all the fuss was about, I was able to explain to him what had happened. He told me his wife was a nurse and asked if he should get her and have her go help.

Of course I said yes, and explained where the house was. I then headed there myself, meeting the nurse and the gentleman and led them the rest of the way to where the child was. Hesseman was downstairs, looking very worried. The little girl had rallied when my partner had administered a dose of antivenom, but had soon reverted and was going into convulsions. The nurse rushed upstairs and fortunately was able to stabilize the child.

Meanwhile, I remained in the main room with Howard and the local man. I didn’t know who he was , but Hesseman did and suggested that I ask for help with my foot. Within minutes I was getting hands on care by the local brujo, who massaged the bones back into place, tied my sneaker onto my foot, and told me not to remove it for a week. I did as I was told, and it healed nicely.

Why I wrote this piece

The articles I’ve read announcing his passing have all included a quote about his kindness and generosity. I decided to write about my own, very small and mundane experience with Howard Hesseman, because I can attest to that kind and generous spirit from my own, very brief, interactions with him.

If there’s a rock and roll heaven, I’m confident Dr. Johnny Fever will be spinning records when the band takes a break. The rest of us have lost yet another shining star, a man who was truly at the Head of the Class.