Geez, there is not much to say about the outgoing President. I tried to find something about him that I liked, but at his last press conference, I searched and came up short. The only good thing about Bush is that: He was so bad, the country actually elected an African American over his (Bushes) party, who put up a War Hero. How bad does one have to be for this to happen?
Actually, it was a perfect storm. Obama is not too young, he's a guy's guy (with the hoops and all), pretty stable and morally upright, and really intelligent. Finally, the country figured out that it is better to have a person in the White house who is smarter than you ( and I mean most of us).
While I'm not gushing, I think this is a big turning point, and my lifetime has seen some amazing things, this being one of them.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
High School Friend Has Stroke
OK, this is more than a bummer, more than just one of the insignificant indignities which cross my path each day, this gets down to bedrock.
A perfectly great human being (my age), from my high school, suffered a serious stroke this past week, and is in the process of (what appears to be) a long recovery. He is in Utah (I'm in CA), so even if I wanted to go see him, it would be pretty impossible just now. Not that his family would want me there. I have seen him twice (YES TWICE and ONLY TWICE), in the last 40 years since we graduated from high school, but I have followed his progress over time, and he has been a ridiculous success and role model.
When things like this happen, my first, instinctive reaction is "Wait a minute, he's too young", followed by the realization that he is just my age. The next reaction is rage and anger at the injustice and unfairness. Then usually I call my Doctor for a check up, and he (who is usually just a "physicians assistant", because Doctors are too busy to see me), tells me I'm fine and to get the hell out of the office. I know about what I am speaking...I lost one sister to colon cancer, another sister to Bipolar craziness, lost my Dad when he was only 64 (from a f*%$#ing stroke, by the way), and have seen my own brother in law in Kidney dialysis for years. Things like this should not happen to people my age, and if they do happen, why to someone like my friend Jay. It kind of makes one look to sky and flip the bird to a God who would let this happen. Which of course is one reason I do not subscribe to any particular religion.
So, my friends, as my other friend from Santa Rosa recently said, "
A perfectly great human being (my age), from my high school, suffered a serious stroke this past week, and is in the process of (what appears to be) a long recovery. He is in Utah (I'm in CA), so even if I wanted to go see him, it would be pretty impossible just now. Not that his family would want me there. I have seen him twice (YES TWICE and ONLY TWICE), in the last 40 years since we graduated from high school, but I have followed his progress over time, and he has been a ridiculous success and role model.
When things like this happen, my first, instinctive reaction is "Wait a minute, he's too young", followed by the realization that he is just my age. The next reaction is rage and anger at the injustice and unfairness. Then usually I call my Doctor for a check up, and he (who is usually just a "physicians assistant", because Doctors are too busy to see me), tells me I'm fine and to get the hell out of the office. I know about what I am speaking...I lost one sister to colon cancer, another sister to Bipolar craziness, lost my Dad when he was only 64 (from a f*%$#ing stroke, by the way), and have seen my own brother in law in Kidney dialysis for years. Things like this should not happen to people my age, and if they do happen, why to someone like my friend Jay. It kind of makes one look to sky and flip the bird to a God who would let this happen. Which of course is one reason I do not subscribe to any particular religion.
So, my friends, as my other friend from Santa Rosa recently said, "
Please give your loved ones a little extra squeeze tonight."
That is what I plan to do. Jay, I love you like the brother I never had. Get well soon and get a bed that fits!
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