Watching the horrors unfold in Japan, I'm struck today by the technicians at the Fukushima nuclear power plant who stayed behind. As everyone else was evacuated, these 50 or so operators crawled around in white jumpsuits with oxygen tanks strapped to their backs, trying to stave off further reactor trouble. Radiation is a given at… Continue reading The last to leave, the first to try
Category: Multiple sclerosis
Ramble on
What is it called when you get off an airplane? What is that body of water that is sometimes man-made and doesn't travel? Hell, what is that muscle in the top part of your arm? I've forgotten all of these in the past week. Week, people. Word retrieval has long been the bane of my… Continue reading Ramble on
Around my world in 180 days
Six months ago today I was in a hospital bed. My legs were these feeble, foreign-feeling abstractions of flesh and bone not living up to their purpose. Just work, dammit! I pleaded to them over and over and over. My head was swimming from a cocktail of steroids and pain medicine. My life had been… Continue reading Around my world in 180 days
Laissez bon temps rouler
I am a list-making fool. Grocery lists, laundry lists, word lists, to-do lists, want lists, goal lists, naughty lists, nice lists, lists of my lists. Admittedly, even a bucket list. It changed slightly when I got multiple sclerosis, becoming this dichotomous entity of "things I want to do and maybe still can" and "things I will… Continue reading Laissez bon temps rouler
Born to run?
Today is the Little Rock Marathon, an event that has drawn elite athletes and weekend runners and ... me. At least for the 5K. What can I say, I like wearing medals like I'm Mr. T. I've never much been into running as my calorie-burning activity of choice. I enjoy the scenery and the commune… Continue reading Born to run?
Enough
“Do you take pride in your hurt? Does it make you seem large and tragic? Well, think about it. Maybe you’re playing a part on a great stage with only yourself as audience.” — John Steinbeck, East of Eden The streamers are coming down, the balloons have all been popped. And I'm nursing a sugar… Continue reading Enough
Wordless: Potential
The world seems a little more hopeful when these are the first things you see when you step outside. Small gestures, sure, but it it is an indicator of what a majestic and captivating place earth truly is.
Dear Me
If I could tell the young me anything, it would be to stay strong. And to stay away from certain boys, of course. And to not get that really short bob, although it did come in handy when playing The Artful Dodger in Oliver. But still. Not that young me would have listened to any of… Continue reading Dear Me
Sun and milk
The clouds have broken, and blades of sunlight pierce through. With spring comes daffodils sprouting with unbridled optimism, renewed hope everywhere, thunderstorms galore, and aggressive allergies. I'll take it. And to make up for my moribundity, a silly photo.
Dark days
“To say a person is a happy person or an unhappy person is ridiculous. We are a thousand different kinds of people every hour.” — Anthony Doerr, Memory Wall: Stories On the darkest days, I think of how I would end it all. In blue skies I only see an expanse of gray, brooding clouds… Continue reading Dark days
One, Wild & Precious 