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Yosemite morning

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Letter from David

I read your “blast”. You might consider calling future versions the blueheronlament. Stop with the self loathing. You’re a pragmatist. You gotta do what you gotta do. As I mentioned in another message, aging is a relentless cascade of humiliations. Yours are serious, for sure. It’s a lot of pressure and overwhelms.

If it’s any consolation, see the attached cartoon. That’s precisely how I read the obituaries. You’re lucky you’ve got your wife and she’s lucky to have you. It’s no small comfort.

DA

David is of course correct. It is beneath me to engage in these craven exercises in maudlin sentimentality. After all, it's not like it's my first rodeo. At the risk of sounding even more self loathing, I'm such a wuss.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Robert,

I have read about the return of your cancer and am very sorry to learn of its reoccurrence. It was a shock when I learned that I had it growing inside me and there was nothing to be done until the surgery was performed. The uncertainty of what to do and what can be done about something that one cannot control is the worst part of any illness. My thoughts and prayers are with you and for your full recovery.

It is hard to distinguish the articles in the blog that I thought were the best. You are a excellent writer and your expression of your political insights were often copied and distributed (providing credit to you) to the conservatives that never seemed to have any original thought. I figured that when you had an insight that was well expressed and written, it may do them some good to give it a thought. I often received responses, but thought that arguing back to their occasional outrage over the truth would not be productive. Why try more than once.

I think that your approach to have and communicate so many general issues is what made your blog so great. You have so many interests and to share them is really unique. I do not tend to communicate my thoughts; why get take the time and spend the effort. However, because you give so many subjects good thorough thought and then write a review, your blog lets me appreciate your personality and see you as a friend.

Your prosperity will not necessarily be in any written record. They become dated very fast. However, the thoughts that one achieves when reading your blog is what will be remembered by anyone that enjoyed (or maybe did not enjoy) them.

I do hope that during your recovery you will continue to write and share. I do appreciate the connection and friendship.

Bob

Anonymous said...

Hmm, well...glad you didn't select for our listening pleasure Dylan's Tombstone Blues or Knockin' On Heaven's Door ! Those surgeons gonna buy an island property once they wrap you up...they should invite you for a stay. Ok...enough noir humor...BE HEALED...(I need the xtra rent $ in August). That's me in the cartoon.

SS

Anonymous said...

Bob,
Sorry to hear about your health news. I've always thought of you has a "healthy critter" ..... guess I really did not know the extent of your cancer history.
Probably because I do not recall you carrying on about your heath or the fact that I am so absorbed with SELF I did not have my ears tuned......... OR maybe you are some kind of Jewish John Wayne and just sucked it up.

Sandi and I were talking about you the other day. Not trying to sound patronizing, I was commenting about what a "one of a kind" person you are and how glad I was our paths have crossed. Always impressed by your range of interests, intellect, capacity, and humor.

All this health stuff is a genuine pain in the ass. The worst part about getting old is that so many of our friends and pals are dealing with crap. S turns 81 this October and I will be 75 in November. Not sure I like being on the down hill side of the Bell Curve.

Doesn't sound like you are lying down on this one. You've come out on the plus side before so why not do it again!!

My good friend in P-------- had cancer of the pecker. Long story short he survived surgical removal and heavy chemo. He called me the other day ecstatic that he took his first stand up pee. That is what I call a POSITIVE attitude.

S and I wish you the best of out comes. Love to you and Leslie. Please keep us informed of your progress if not too inconvenient.

Anonymous said...

Damn, Robert!
I hate this horrible disease. Please let Dain and I know if you or Leslie need anything. We are 5 1/2 hours away. Not long at all.
Keep being positive. I do think it makes a difference! Hard to know what to say except we would miss you in our lives. So stick around.
All our love,
Dain and Sue

Anonymous said...

David sounds like a prick, obviously not one of your friends. I don't understand his reference to self-loathing. Perhaps he is speaking about himself.

Anonymous said...

David care for a knuckle sami ? big talking pussy !

Blue Heron said...

David is a friend and he wrote me the letter as a personal note. I printed it without his permission. I know where he is coming from and am not going to bag on him. I ask you to refrain, I am glad he was being honest with me. Can't get too teary eyed, have a blog to run...

Ken Seals said...

Just can't agree with David. Having this blog is a way to pour out all your feelings and you have the right to do that! I'm sure it's cathartic in many ways. All of us who are your real friends understand and this blog is just one of the ways we get to know the real you.

Anonymous said...




You and your doctors got you healthy again last time. I think they’ve learned a lot in the last 40 odd years. We are all pulling for you, big guy.

Jb said...

Missed the original. Pulling for ya.