Spring Fever

Perspective. All of our relations with others start with this. All of our insights about anything start with this. I always forget to remember perspective. Life has a way of slapping me when I let myself get lazy about it. We had zero snow this winter on Delmarva. But they got hammered in the upper midwest. I read an article about a guy who was lucky to survive after being stranded in snow drifts in his car. He stayed in his car for something like three days, and was found and rescued by some pretty skilled responders. So one day the guy is driving along on a snowy day thinking about his agenda. His itinerary. The next day he has been trapped for 24 hours and his fuel is getting low and he is likely going to die. Sitting in his car with a wholly different perspective. A week ago I was having a series of wonderful days in the sunshine. Mowing. Smelling wild onions. Thinking about my upcoming trip to Asheville to hang out with the pros from Dover and sing at an "open mike" at the pub owned by one of the pros. A trip so good, I was forgoing a shot at Lakeland, Fla. The place all aviators want to visit every early spring. But before I even packed my bag for Asheville something happened. I found I had no energy and I laid down to rest and found it harder and harder to get up. This went on for two days. Then on day three my gastro- intestinal system went awry and I had a real bad night. In the middle of the worst I was delirious. And I was stumbling trying to get to the bathroom. I wanted water. Water. I had a bottle I was trying to fill from the sink. But I couldn't wrangle the bottle top. I pulled a towel rack off the wall. I knocked everything off a shelf. Everything off the sink. I made it back to my bed in a cold sweat and took my pitiful little sips from the water bottle. I was lying carefully still, hoping the nausea would not come back. The sweat was drying and the fever was breaking. I was moaning (because I'm a big baby) and as I sipped a little more I got the feeling that the worst may be over. I had lost the cough which had kept me awake for two nights. And I fell asleep. When I awoke it was daylight. And indeed, I was better. And I had a different perspective. The guy who wanted that water in the night had had a little lesson in the hierarchy of needs. New perspective. So what is important? The world is right side up again. My wife is well and reading with her dog in the next room. The news from son in California is good. He just got over being sick. And is well.

Health and happiness to all of you. LLITTY :::::+:::::