Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(Turn and face the
strange)
Ch-ch-changes
Just gonna have to be
a different man
--
David Bowie
My life had been getting into a pattern lately. Days took on
a sameness with slight variations. Work on a few different writing projects. Go
to the gym or go downstairs to our exercise equipment. Read from books or on the
computer. Watch MSNBC for hours on end and curse the darkness taking over the
White House. Think about and do some research for that long-anticipated book
(short story, essay, paragraph, sentence, whatever) about my father’s family’s migration
from Eastern Europe to the Deep South—which I still haven’t begun writing in
earnest, etc.
Some people hate sameness and look forward to change. Me,
not so much.
But change seems to keep coming in waves into my life
lately.
Last Friday, for instance, I had to work with a new trainer
at the gym. New for me at least. I have gotten accustomed to Marlon, my exercise
mentor from Peru. He pushes me, but not too hard. I sweat, but not in buckets. But
Marlon was going to be away from the gym for several weeks with a mysterious
illness. So, I agreed to work with Will, who, as it turns out, seemed to have
no respect for my advancing age. Here is an example. He put me on a new machine
and showed me how to push and pull properly. He figured I knew what to do after
I pulled or pushed five times. Then he said, “Good, do 20 of those.” Then we began our count. I figured we were
starting at 6 since I had already done 1 through 5 getting into the pattern. He
began counting at 1! So, we were doing 25 and not 20, it seemed. Outrageous!
Then, he kept increasing the weight on each machine with
each rep. Soon, I was sweating
buckets. Amazingly, I agreed to work with him two times next week.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(Turn and face the
strange)
The patterns of our lives have been undergoing major changes at home. Our son Brett initiated those when he collapsed on a New York street a month ago and was rushed to NYU Hospital. Three life-saving brain surgeries later to deal with a long-festering brain tumor, and all of our lives have been turned upside-down and inside-out. For the next several months, he will be living back in our house in New Jersey, building up his strength and stamina and getting his overall health in order. His doctors are optimistic. He and we are learning to be optimistic. We’re looking to get our patterns back. It’s not quite as simple, or as satisfyingly boring as it was before, but we plan on getting back there again soon.
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| Brett has a happy reunion with our dog Tess. He'll need the helmet for a few more weeks to protect his fragile skull. |
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| Brett posing with two fellow baldies. His recuperation has been going remarkably well. |
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(Turn and face the
strange)
Audrey turned to me the other night in bed and said, “I
really don’t like change that much.” I have to agree. After all, I remember
those days, just last week, when 20 was 20 and not 25.
