We all loved Catatonic Carol. She was a silent self-sacrificing, easy going, and an extremely undemanding friend. Standing still like a statue, she made a great coat rack by keeping her arms up to accommodate all of us. So, naturally, we hung all kinds of stuff on her like hats, coats, and umbrellas.

I think Catatonic Carol must have loved it, because she never complained or moved a muscle. Somehow, she knew just how much it was appreciated by everyone. She never asked for anything in return, not even one single thank you. In her crazy vacant eyes, I could see that she knew exactly what she was doing. I wouldn't be surprised at all if after 10 or 20 years, when and if she ever wakes up, she decides to go into the coat racking business.

Without question, we all respected her for standing still for that long. No one ever figured out why she did it. My guess was that maybe she just needed to be needed and that coat racking was the perfect profession for someone who didn't like to hustle-bustle or move a single muscle.