 |
| Dublin! Alive in Ireland! It's a Fairly Low Bar but I'll Take It! |
Hello Fellow Travelers! I never thought much about Garth Brooks, not a fan. Mr. Brooks has catchy C & W tunes and no neck. That's about all I knew. But I've had one line of one of Garth's yodely hits stuck in my head, replaying over and over, like a needle stuck on a record (back when dinosaurs roamed the planet). Anyway, Garth warbles the line, "Sometimes we fight just so we can make up!", I understand the intention, but it was obviously written by someone not in a relationship.
Anyone in a long-term relationship knows all too well the minefield that awaits
anyone foolhardy enough to wander over to the "danger zone" of any relationship! Anyone who is a long-term partner
knows the treacherous terrain of any lengthy union.. There is a delicate balance in every off-hand comment, any conversation, all discussions. "Disagreement Danger" is everywhere, like dog do on a running path. You have to be constantly scanning for any hint of trouble. Like "pet-poo", certain arguments must be avoided at all costs! The many nuanced levels of relationship-rioting have to get repeatedly reviewed and with the most careful consideration.
Real disagreements run the gamut - everything from daily good-natured banter to "the thing we dare not speak of". Every couple has one of those. Not light, not "fun", not romantic! Why anyone would write a song about "fighting for fun", is just asking for trouble! Makeup sex? I think that's what "no-neck"was yodeling about. I'm risk-averse, fighting is not anything to play with. I can't fight, never could. I survived brain cancer. I would never "invite the vampire in", so to speak. Fun? Not a fan.
One reason I routinely go to the gym, maintain being strong and flexible is I never know what the next disaster is or where it is coming from. I always feel like I'm on borrowed time. Recently, that theory has sadly and inevitably been proven. I wasn't emotionally ready for losing my father (who is?) but I was tough, organized and ready to go. I was packed and ready to travel in under 45 minutes after we got "the call". I just started thinking of 2018 as a huge year of loss. On top of my "Bonfire O' Stress" (Eternally lit since 2010) was a little twig for a friend of mine I hadn't heard from. As the days went by, and still no reply, my burning twig grew into a flaming stick. The bad news kept coming. And still nothing from my friend. I grimly concluded it was time for a hard-target search. Then I realized he was going to be harder to find than I thought. We only communicated via email since he retired so I really had no idea how to reach him or how to confirm that he was OK. I was preparing to phone his wife's office (they share) when I finally got a message:
He had been in Dublin lecturing! Dublin! I haven't been so happy to hear someone''s alive in ages! My friend wasn't hurt or sick, he was driving on the wrong side of the road! He wasn't "on the wrong side of the dirt", he was sharing data with European doctors and enjoying Guiness! I was sooo relieved!
I'm still really grateful to be alive! I'm really grateful for anyone I know to be alive! Living might sound like a low bar, but it's the only one that matters...
