To All The Ships At Sea

Having a MAJOR operation certainly elicited a flood of thought and reflection, an examination of life, and an appreciation of all things dear…. if for no other reason than I woke up.  But truly it is more than that, for in a sense I experienced death, or dying, or something close to it.  And that, trust me, will grab your attention.

I replay that day like a syndicated tv rerun.  Talking to the anesthesiologist on my not so free ride to the operating room, I ceased to be.  For over eight hours, I was suspended in nothingness.  I vaguely remember returning to the living, mumbling some nonsensical drivel to anyone within range. In my long nap, I didn’t have any “near death” revelation. I wasn’t perched on the wall near the ceiling watching and listening, and I certainly saw no white light that seemed to beckon me forth, only to turn me away with a wave of the wand.  I was just….gone.  Blackness…nothingness…..no sense of existence.  Now I wonder if, well, that’s just the way it’s going to be folks.  Oh well, food for future pondering fueled by a wine or two. But for now, now that I have a deeper appreciation of just how close we all are to the big sleep, I feel a renewed urge to be close, in presence, or word, or thought, to the many people whose lives have touched mine in some fashion.

So this is to all the ships at sea, and all the ports of call, to those I hold dear and here, and to all friends, those fresh and those weathered, those close by, and especially those so far away.  Each of you has left your fingerprint on my spirit, and given me things that hopefully have made me a better person, or at least one trying to be.  Thank you.  Merry Christmas to you all and a wonderful New Year. :)

Mark Twain Quote:  “The xmas holidays have this high value:  that they remind Forgetters of the Forgotten, & repair damaged relationships.”

So This Is Christmas

I didn’t do this last year, and I don’t know why.  Perhaps it was the newness of the blog, and my desire get meaningful posts out.  Or I could have just plain forgot it.  Funny I would do that, as Christmas is my favorite “time” of the year.

So, whatever your deal is at Christmas, I hope it is for you a season of peace, love, remembrance, and hope.  Just try and keep it going, will ya?

I love Christmas carols, so to pick just one would be tough.  My dad loved “Little Drummer Boy.”  My personal favorite, if I had to choose, would be the Syracuse Symphony playing of Calvin Custer’s “Holiday Medley,” which has a rousing finish featuring a unique interpretation of Little Drummer Boy. You’ll never hear another like it.  This is followed closely by another Custer original, the “Twelve Days of Christmas Medley.”  They’re favorites cause they squeeze lots of carols into one, easy listening place.

But for all of you, all over the globe, I’d just suggest you listen carefully to John Lennon’s “Happy Christmas.” Couldn’t think of a more perfect song for all the world to hear.   So, to readers from the UK, to Brazil, to the Far East, to the Europeans, to those folks who read this “way down under”  -  Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  () () ()

Mark Twain Quote:  “The approach of Christmas brings harassment and dreads to many excellent people.  They have to buy a cart-load of presents, and they never know what to buy to hit the various tastes; they put in three weeks of hard and anxious work, and when Christmas morning comes they are so dissatisfied with the result, and so disappointed that they want to sit down and cry.  Then they give thanks that Christmas comes but once a year.”