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For Kevin |
Several other friends of his, one of which is his cousin, suggested that we do not visit him until he is well into his rehabilitation, since he can only communicate through a mouse and screen with his left hand. Furthermore, one of his friends that I spoke with recently recommended that I don't even try to send him flowers, but rather just "pray for him" at this point. An atheist should pray for his friend lying helpless in a hospital? Well, Mother Carey's chickens, isn't that an effective measure!
While I agree that I shouldn't visit him in person, I am totally taken aback by this suggestion. It leaves me upset and even undignified— the thought of him lying in bed without me even sending flowers and a note that I am thinking about him.
Tomorrow, I am going to have to speak with a few of these people again about sending him signs of life, this time a little more stern and assertive than before. I have come to learn that this happens rather frequently: friends and relatives erecting an artificial fortress around a loved one who experiences a tragedy such as this. I do forgive them for keeping his best interests (and his sanity) in mind, but sometimes an inner circle of relatives and friends just do not handle situations as they should. It is time for me to punch through that barrier a little, for the noble effort of reaching out to my closest friend.
I have been meditating during this first and most painful phase of my friend's life-altering event. At first I thought that I was meditating to send positive energy his way, but gaining a foothold on reality, I realize that this meditation is more for me than anyone else. A very wise acquaintance mentioned last week that I should cope with this sudden tragedy and the long recovery without compromising my own well-being. It was quite comforting to hear this from another voice other than my own.
On a fresher note, I have made considerable progress in my personal time management, allowing me more time to blog and write technical articles. Expect me to be more prolific now with at least two updates per week, just like old times. :winky:
Charles Koechlin: La Méditation de Purun Bhagat, Op. 159:
Tone poem from The Jungle Book
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(By Daniel Culveyhouse | See the 1 comment | comment here)
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Under the direction of Castro Community on Patrol, Friday night was the night of my first patrol service. We couldn't have asked for a better patrol beat that night! Our three-person team patrolled the north side of Market Street to Duboce Park, and though it was an uneventful beat, this is the kind of night perfect for new recruits. We did seem to deter a drug transaction while we stood at Noe and 14th Street, watching a rather sketchy "businessman" wait for customers, his face nearly concealed by a low-drawn baseball cap and a dark hooded sweatshirt. Yes, he probably skitted off to another neighborhood, but honestly it's better if the bastard does that somewhere else.
As we walked down the streets of the Castro, I was amazed at how happy and receptive people were to our patrol service. Nothing but smiles, compliments, and thank-yous from one block to the next. Is that sweet or what? We did also speak to many guys and gals on the street, handing out plenty of safety whistles in the process. People behaved themselves for the most part, and we only had to remind someone once... "Remember, blow it only in an emergency."
I am perfectly fine serving the community once per month, and if we're short-staffed, I'll add a night per month to my beat schedule until we assemble the forces we need to sweep the neighborhood every Thursday night to Sunday night (we currently only have enough for Friday and Saturday night). Needless to say, if you would like to join us, please just send me a message!
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For Kevin |
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(By Daniel Culveyhouse | No comments yet | comment here)
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