Report of 6 Aug '06
Hello from the Carmel public library!
Man, everyone should have such a place and such people to hang out w/ as I do. I just spent the weekend w/ my in-laws and, as I told a friend, even if they weren't my in-laws, I'd hope to be hanging out w/ them. The farm is a beautiful place to be, w/ verdant surroundings, mooing cows, and dogs and cats w/ identity crises, but far more than that, it's a place w/ warm-hearted, genuine, supportive (when I said my kids didn't like my use of profanity, the in-laws said what I did: that the kids could stop doing things to instigate said profanity), interested and interesting people. It is probably the only place in the world that I fully relax: can't completely relax at my parents' place as my mother is disabled and raised all her kids to help out as needed (though of course both my parents place our comfort and convenience very highly and that is so touching); can't relax at my own place always as there is a household to run. So 'tis the in-laws' place for me - ate, talked, laughed, shared in the stories of aging as words were forgotten and incidents repeated for the 10th time, revelled in tales of the Banyan which the folks seemed keen to hear. All my favorite foods were on hand, and I got to read, veg out, eat. My mother-in-law, Jan, and I also visited her in-laws (Scott's late Dad's side of the family) to say bye, and that was tons of fun, too: irreverence is high on my list of desired qualities, and the Weiss side fills in nicely. Scott's grandmother and grandfather were up to receiving visitors, so we had lunch there and laughed much more. I have returned rejuvenated, and have deferred reading the email from Chennai until I finish blogging - for obvious reasons.
Last week, I spoke at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, and that was fun. Given the couple of incidents that happened last week w/ the perceived absolute lack of consideration for my work, I was mighty nervous about "imposing my viewpoint" on folks. But I went and spoke, and the audience was small but the size of the audience never matters to me, the level of interest does. The Tabers, Sonia Inger, Shilpa Mallur and Ali Floyd (my hostess of last week) were there and it was nice to have familiar faces in the audience. I'd invited a couple of patients as well, but they couldn't come. At the end of the talk, Carolyn Scanlan-Craighead, the pastor, could not speak as she was in tears, so moved was she by the stories of staggering resilience and humbling appreciation that my patients show. There were many questions about my work and I enjoyed speaking of it, as always.
Work has been nice, and the patients are always a treat. Except for the Vicodin and Xanax seekers, of course. A young man, MM, came in for a physical exam. He had been released from prison recently and was in a "half-way home," which requires the exam. I ask exactly what I want to ask in the course of the exam, and asked about the reason for his incarceration, which turned out to be "conspiracy." Apparently, his friends had robbed a drug dealer, had not used masks or disguises to conceal their identities, had been caught and told the police they had planned the crime at MM's house; so the police arrested MM and put him in jail for 14 months. We spoke some, and I felt for MM's mother that this had happened, and his younger brothers (what sort of example was this?), and clearly said so, but MM said things were cool all around, and he was looking to return to college. We agreed that some folks learn a lot from their mistakes, and I shook his hand, wished him luck and told him he could call me anytime for questions. There was a look of je-ne-sais-quoi in his eyes (I truly don't sais - I truly don't know) and he left. Patients are patients to me, ex-cons or otherwise. If they fail to make something of their lives, though, because of continuously stupid decisions, it's time to re-evaluate.
I have moved out of Jeremy and Ali's warm, lovely home to the equally wonderful, welcoming home of Marybeth and Andy Simon, and their children, Miranda and Morgan. The Simons used to be our neighbors when we lived in Carmel, and for a long time, Miranda and Morgan were the only girls Naren and Navin would tolerate. Marybeth and I also worked together at St. V, and she is a dear, loving, open-minded sort. It is mighty therapeutic to the soul to be w/ good people, and the Simons are among the best. Andy has, out of sheer will power, dropped 65-70 pounds and I think that's a great testimony to one's character. I have the run of the basement at Chez Simon, and am enjoying the place and the people.
Thank you all for the advisory emails on my teenage sons and the situation w/ my work. It is markedly beneficial to me to have good people around, and as of now, I have about 250 of you. Would I consider myself blessed and fortunate - you decide :).
Well, I'd better wind up and get to the waiting emails. As I told a patient, all 4 of us are ready for this exercise to end. Scott sends very romantic emails from Bangalore, and I look forward to being w/ the 3 Weiss men; to hugging my sons and assuring them teenage years are times of massive but transient turbulence; to going out to eat w/ all 3 and enjoying the vivid senses of humor; to playing games on Game Night and watching N and N interact w/ facile fluidity w/ each other that only siblings can do; to discussing all that has happened in the United States w/ Scott and having him say something that'd make me laugh out loud; to dancing w/ wild abandon in the living room w/ my stash of dance music that even poor Scott will endure.
May you dance like nobody's watching.
Unw -
Renu
Man, everyone should have such a place and such people to hang out w/ as I do. I just spent the weekend w/ my in-laws and, as I told a friend, even if they weren't my in-laws, I'd hope to be hanging out w/ them. The farm is a beautiful place to be, w/ verdant surroundings, mooing cows, and dogs and cats w/ identity crises, but far more than that, it's a place w/ warm-hearted, genuine, supportive (when I said my kids didn't like my use of profanity, the in-laws said what I did: that the kids could stop doing things to instigate said profanity), interested and interesting people. It is probably the only place in the world that I fully relax: can't completely relax at my parents' place as my mother is disabled and raised all her kids to help out as needed (though of course both my parents place our comfort and convenience very highly and that is so touching); can't relax at my own place always as there is a household to run. So 'tis the in-laws' place for me - ate, talked, laughed, shared in the stories of aging as words were forgotten and incidents repeated for the 10th time, revelled in tales of the Banyan which the folks seemed keen to hear. All my favorite foods were on hand, and I got to read, veg out, eat. My mother-in-law, Jan, and I also visited her in-laws (Scott's late Dad's side of the family) to say bye, and that was tons of fun, too: irreverence is high on my list of desired qualities, and the Weiss side fills in nicely. Scott's grandmother and grandfather were up to receiving visitors, so we had lunch there and laughed much more. I have returned rejuvenated, and have deferred reading the email from Chennai until I finish blogging - for obvious reasons.
Last week, I spoke at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, and that was fun. Given the couple of incidents that happened last week w/ the perceived absolute lack of consideration for my work, I was mighty nervous about "imposing my viewpoint" on folks. But I went and spoke, and the audience was small but the size of the audience never matters to me, the level of interest does. The Tabers, Sonia Inger, Shilpa Mallur and Ali Floyd (my hostess of last week) were there and it was nice to have familiar faces in the audience. I'd invited a couple of patients as well, but they couldn't come. At the end of the talk, Carolyn Scanlan-Craighead, the pastor, could not speak as she was in tears, so moved was she by the stories of staggering resilience and humbling appreciation that my patients show. There were many questions about my work and I enjoyed speaking of it, as always.
Work has been nice, and the patients are always a treat. Except for the Vicodin and Xanax seekers, of course. A young man, MM, came in for a physical exam. He had been released from prison recently and was in a "half-way home," which requires the exam. I ask exactly what I want to ask in the course of the exam, and asked about the reason for his incarceration, which turned out to be "conspiracy." Apparently, his friends had robbed a drug dealer, had not used masks or disguises to conceal their identities, had been caught and told the police they had planned the crime at MM's house; so the police arrested MM and put him in jail for 14 months. We spoke some, and I felt for MM's mother that this had happened, and his younger brothers (what sort of example was this?), and clearly said so, but MM said things were cool all around, and he was looking to return to college. We agreed that some folks learn a lot from their mistakes, and I shook his hand, wished him luck and told him he could call me anytime for questions. There was a look of je-ne-sais-quoi in his eyes (I truly don't sais - I truly don't know) and he left. Patients are patients to me, ex-cons or otherwise. If they fail to make something of their lives, though, because of continuously stupid decisions, it's time to re-evaluate.
I have moved out of Jeremy and Ali's warm, lovely home to the equally wonderful, welcoming home of Marybeth and Andy Simon, and their children, Miranda and Morgan. The Simons used to be our neighbors when we lived in Carmel, and for a long time, Miranda and Morgan were the only girls Naren and Navin would tolerate. Marybeth and I also worked together at St. V, and she is a dear, loving, open-minded sort. It is mighty therapeutic to the soul to be w/ good people, and the Simons are among the best. Andy has, out of sheer will power, dropped 65-70 pounds and I think that's a great testimony to one's character. I have the run of the basement at Chez Simon, and am enjoying the place and the people.
Thank you all for the advisory emails on my teenage sons and the situation w/ my work. It is markedly beneficial to me to have good people around, and as of now, I have about 250 of you. Would I consider myself blessed and fortunate - you decide :).
Well, I'd better wind up and get to the waiting emails. As I told a patient, all 4 of us are ready for this exercise to end. Scott sends very romantic emails from Bangalore, and I look forward to being w/ the 3 Weiss men; to hugging my sons and assuring them teenage years are times of massive but transient turbulence; to going out to eat w/ all 3 and enjoying the vivid senses of humor; to playing games on Game Night and watching N and N interact w/ facile fluidity w/ each other that only siblings can do; to discussing all that has happened in the United States w/ Scott and having him say something that'd make me laugh out loud; to dancing w/ wild abandon in the living room w/ my stash of dance music that even poor Scott will endure.
May you dance like nobody's watching.
Unw -
Renu
posted by Renu Weiss at
10:53 AM
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