Things I Miss…(+ health update)

Health Update: (I hope to not have to do too many of these anymore) As I posted earlier, I’m back at home and resting comfortably following my latest surgical adventure.  The surgery appears to have been a success, with no recurrence of the infection that got me here (nor the tumor that started the whole thing). 

Of course, recovery from brain surgery (albeit, a minor form of it) never comes without it’s kinks: I ended up fighting off a bout of walking pneumonia last week, and have had the usual issues with a rapid change in medication.  Thankfully, there are still a few weeks of summer vacation left before I have any real responsibilities to carry out.

 Now, as I figure out what my body’s capable of after a year of 3 major surgeries, radiation, chemo, and a lot of pills, I hope to be able to transition away from an existance centered around doctor visits and health updates, and towards other adventures (like working in a middle school while taking Graduate level classes online.  Hmm.  Chemo doesn’t sound so bad anymore…).  Your notes, encouragements, prayers, & support have all been appreciated of late and always.

OK, on to other less-important pursuits…

As I (hopefully) walk away from these bizarre few months (in which I walked around wearing a protective helmet), I find myself strangely conflicted.  Yes, I am glad to get down to the business of feeling “normal” again.  And, yes, the curious stares & rude comments (not to mention those who saw a protective helmet and felt the need to test it out with a tap) were getting very old very fast…

And, yet, there were some fun things about having this otherwise-uncomfortable accomodation, and the journey  that preceded it. 

An instant conversation-starter everywhere you go…

A portable billboard for artistic whims…

And let’s not forget…

This mild case of Stockholm Syndrome has got me thinking that, strange as it may sound, I might actually miss wearing that thing around. 

So, what other things do I miss?

…being 17 (not that I want to do it again)

…not having any debt 

…that time when I thought

…unstructured childhood play time

…my old electric guitar (which I learned to play on, then sold to raise $ for a mission trip)

…more friends and family than I can name here

…having the attention span to be able to go up to Wilson Library at WWU (armed with two beverages , two Taco Bell tacos, my Organic Chemistry book, and a study guide for the next day’s test) and not leave for 6+ hrs

…being able to watch TV before midnight and not have my personal morals mocked repeatedly (see “Family Guy”)

…The SNL “Dream Cast“

…Phil Hartman

…the old “Wheel of Fortune,” where they let you spend your winnings on the Showcase of Fabulous Prizes

…elementary school kids not having homework

…elementary school teachers not needing to assign elementary school kids homework, at penalty of low test scores and school sanctions

 …kids being off-limits in our society (back before advertisers saw them as a commodity to be taken from, and adults a source of self-interest-fulfillment)

…stores not selling coffee to kids (much less energy drinks)

…kids not having to go to summer practices just to play school sports

…girls slowpitch softball (the last sport relatively-unathletic girls could play in high school, before the switch to the more intensive fastpitch version)

 …female actresses/singers not having to be waifish 19-yr olds (see “CW Network“)

…old people on allowed to be shown on TV (see “Lawrence Welk Show”)

…MTV playing music videos

…the pre-Wal-Mart economy (when small businesses had a fighting chance to run their business better, while taking better care of their employees and customers)

…the pre-Wal-Mart-esque real estate market (got some land?  Here’s some money so we can subdivide it 100 times over and drastically change the face of your once-peaceful neighborhood)

 

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This is Phase One of this rambling list (oh, yeah, sorry for the rambing – I’ve had some thinking time lately), which I had thought of turning into a “SWPL”-esque blog (but had neither the time nor motivation for).  I’m sure I’ll go back and tweak it.  Anything I missed?