Light, heavy; heavy, light
I wrote two other posts today that are of what you might call the “light” variety–not about anything deeply emotional, or about politics or any earthshattering world events. Until yesterday I’d been doing “heavy” post after heavy post, and I realized I need to vary things a bit, both for my sake and perhaps for yours.
For those of you who prefer heavy, though, don’t worry–more will be coming, soon.
And remember a while back I said I was working on the next post in the “A mind is a difficult thing to change” series? Well, I lied. No, actually, I didn’t lie–I fully meant to work on it, and in fact I have been working on it somewhat– in my head. But it’s going to be delayed a bit more.
Part of the reason is that I’m still very heavily involved in dealing with my mother’s illness. For those of you who are following that event, she is doing considerably better: her hand is about 85% back to normal, in my estimation, which is wonderful. Her leg has a great deal further to go, but she can move it quite a bit now, and the physical therapists are hopeful that some day she will walk with a walker or even perhaps just a cane. She finds that very hard to believe. But her spirits are better, and at times she even seems like her old self.
I’ve graduated to not visiting her every single day, although I still do go most days. She will probably be in the rehab facility for at least a month more. At some point I plan to write about that experience, too, which will be partly heavy and partly light.
Ignore that first comment, your blog is great.
> Part of the reason is that I’m still very heavily involved in dealing with my mother’s illness.
You can’t fool us! You’re really Cindy Sheehan!!!
BWAAAAhahahahahahahahah!!!
Seriously, hope that all works out as best as it can…
al, al, al…what can I say except that you have posted one of the most painfully tasteless comments of all time. You are certainly entitled to your own opinion, but publicly posting this one critical thought is not unlike a bully or sadist hurting someone purely for the sake of the pleasure it gives them. You offer nothing constructive; you hit and you run. As such, your comment invites some analysis. Before I go on, however, I would like to say that this blog has been consistently excellent and extremely stimulating from a reader’s standpoint, thanks to neo’s- ability to synthesize and articulate what are often very complicated ideas and concepts. You, al, obviously disagree with my opinion. Could the blog (it’s not clear if you are referring to just this post or the entire blog) be “boring” to you because you simply don’t understand the posts and can’t follow what you’re reading? Studies show that children lose much of their reading skills over the summer. Is that you, al? Are you al-literate, al? There are programs, you know. Was math “boring” to you, alSO, al? Did al-GEBRA make your heart race with fear, al? Or perhaps you just like to al-ienate people, al, or could it be that you just imbibed too much al-COHOL (alE?) when you decided to post your comment? Or, quite possibly you’re angry and bitter, al; I’d guess from paying lots of al-IMONY and from being alONE much of the time. You see, al, your comment said a lot about you. Whatever your perverse reasons were for posting your comment, al, I suggest that you don’t waste another moment of your precious time here and beat a hasty retreat al-sewhere. As neo- said, this is not required reading, and I’m sure there are plenty of lighter, fluffier, more stimulating web sites (maybe some with more pictures, more colors, bigger letters?) that would welcome your patronage. I’ve tried to make this comment mildly amusing in the hope that it would hold your attention, al, and you’d be able to read it through to the end without losing interest and, dare I say, find it “boring”!!! al-OHA, al (the goodbye meaning)
I’ve got to wonder if Al was trying to do some sort of art-school parody of the spambots you were writing about the other day. If that’s it, it’s funny.
If not, his comment borders on the inhuman.
Pastorius
Commenter “al”–are you some sort of masochist, then? Last time I checked, blogs weren’t required reading.
Thanks for the update on your mother’s progress. I’m sure many of your regular readers are of your general age and consequently, identify with the challenges such a health crisis with a parent bring to your life and obviously, hers. She continues to be in people’s prayers.
I am looking forward to the next chapter in your “A mind is a difficult thing to change” series when it jells for you. One question you might consider is what makes a mind so intransigent in the first place?
First, James Michener once said that “prejudice is everything we learn before the age of sixteen.” He might have been a bit tongue-in-cheek, because included in our automatic responses from pre-judgment are a number of our most decent, helpful actions and attitudes.
Second, to go again to Horowitz’s “Radical Son.” In it he describes himself and his parents as “red diaper” babies, i.e., children of Marxist parents. He also says that he found, in his father’s diary, the statement “I don’t want to do what I want to do.” Riddle?
Hardly. One doesn’t have to have been the child of Marxists to have been inculcated with prejudices that seem moral, good, calculated to “help the people,” and later come to despise them when one has lived long enough to see their effects.
neo.. Keep up the good work. Your blog is one of my favorites. Your recent offerings have been timely and informative. I have learned a lot because of your focus on detail and research. Your comment
contributors further enhance the subject matter for a well rounded exploration of the subject at hand.
Wow, al, what a comment to make on a post mentioning the hard task of recuperation being borne by neo-neocon’s mother. Such great unkindness takes my breath away.
Neo-neocon: It sounds as if your mother is making real progress. Good luck to her — it must be hell learning to walk again. She’s a braveheart.
Came acroos your Blog & liked it. It’s unique to say the least. I’m trying to put up a site–Agent Orange, but when you work with words like mesotheleomia is NOT linked to cancers associated with Agent Orange, it makes it difficult. Just venting , I guess —Jack—
You have one of the most painfully boring blogs of all times.