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Timothy Lavelle
Happy New Year, Frankie.
Years ago - around 1995 - when my son was very small, we had one of those years that seems, in memory, to have been unreasonably flled with sickness and pain. Not like cancer or anything, just bout after bout of bad colds or childhood illnesses. At Christmas that year I was down with the "I had to wait for Xmas vacation to get the flu". So it was a pretty crappy year for good memories.
My mantra has always been "You gotta laugh..." and has been mostly pointed at my own mistakes and failings. It'sa big target. So last night, when I thought maybe I was having a heart attack, it scared me badly but also gave me more funny ammunition to shoot myself with. Scene: Cristmas afternoon, family far away, I begin coughing. Great, for Christmas I get a deep chest cold in a chest not all that deep. Two uncomfortable days pass - Last evening I drove to the train station to pick-up the lady and the lad from their sojourn. I was looking forward to some "Oh, you poor boy" type treatment. While waiting in the train station, along comes a young lady giving away free chicken sandwiches. Normally she gives them to the homeless but she had a few left over and decided to give them to us poor soles in the train station. "Free sandwich...I'm your man, thanks". The wife and son were very tired so I was completely shorted on the "Oh you poor boy" sentiment.
At home my chest began to hurt. "Right behind the sternum, Doc". As a card carrying hypochondriac, within minutes I was fairly certain that I would not be alive for New Years. For me, a very difficult night. Turns out the lady with the chicken sandwiches was handing out more than cold weather sustinence. Maybe I saved a homeless person from acute indigestion???
You gotta laugh! This screed is about laughing at yourself and hope - not about being ill, really !
I am guessing that 2017 was very difficult for many of us. In a few days, let's turn the clock back to "start" and hope that 2018 willl be full of love instead of nuclear war; togetherness instead of whatever we call our country these days; peace instead of white hoods and cross burnings; no bullying; far more patience for people with less and for every one of us, a year of good health and cheer. For me, one of the very good things that came with 2017 was thiis forum and the active friendship shown here. I think we should all go to Washington and show them how people of different minds can not only get along but disagree with politeness and laughter. Party On! TL
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Merry Christmas 
