Original anecdotes, commentary, rumination, and occasional pontification.
FEBRUARY 22, 2022 – If I’d traveled to Kashmir to experience its natural beauty, I first had to negotiate past the many people trying to make a living off the few people like me. Like a cloud of flies, Kashmiris pestered relentlessly. In my letter home, I describe the “shikara men” who surrounded our houseboat: …
FEBRUARY 13, 2022 – For this, my 1,000th post, I’m taking a break from India to return to immediate concerns. Six weeks have passed since my first session with Dr. Kolla, my oncologist, who, as life turns, was born, reared, and educated in . . . India. I’d choose none other than this extraordinary doctor …
FEBRUARY 7, 2022 – During my two-month sojourn in NZ and Australia, I’d encountered many Europeans who’d ventured there via India. Time—and illness—on the Subcontinent seemed to be a rite of passage. No traveler had not experienced gastrointestinal problems, and everyone emphasized that no matter how much you heard or read about India, nothing could …
FEBRUARY 6, 2022 – As hours rolled by, I stared in wonder out the picture window of my compartment. Often, I imagined peering out the window of a spacecraft circling Mars just above the surface: the arid infinity outside was mesmerizing in its “other worldliness.” At a refueling stop in Cook (now a ghost town; …
FEBRUARY 4, 2022 – Even back then Sydney, capital of New South Wales, was the big, splashy city of “Down Under.” I spent several days there, impressed by its busy harbor, cosmopolitan feel, world-class modern architecture—including the harbor-front Opera House (and a recital inside)—and expansive botanical garden. But naturally, I was drawn to . . …
FEBRUARY 3, 2022 – From the sea, I turned to Kuranda in the rainforest along Queensland’s northeastern “fringe.” Other travelers had recommended Kuranda as a “Bohemian outpost in Eden,” and the pathway was well established. Joined by Karen and now my romantic interest, Debbie, we hiked to the heights of towering waterfalls and admired the …
FEBRUARY 1, 2022 – Like most visitors in those days, I traveled “the eastern fringe”—the coastline between Sydney in the southeast and Port Douglas in the northeast, well above the Tropic of Capricorn. The big attraction was the Great Barrier Reef, yet much else influenced my itinerary—from Kuranda, a Garden of Eden deep in the …
JANUARY 31, 2022 – Heavy hearted, I boarded the Qantas 747 to Brisbane. Ahead lay unmeasured time filled with untold adventures, but I couldn’t imagine how they’d compete with the experiences behind me. For a month I’d been ensconced in Treasure Island[s], and it was hard to let go. Yet, this was the rhythm of …
JANUARY 30, 2022 – When people outside NZ think of that paradise, they consider flora, fauna, and geography. But of all the countries I’ve visited, none exudes the civility of NZ. This assessment overlooks historical injustices toward the Maori and the anomaly of the 2019 mosque attack, but NZ’s well-established, civilized reputation is otherwise fully …
JANUARY 29, 2022 – In those days, to venture down “The Most Beautiful Walk in the World,” a reservation was required—along with rain gear and sturdy hiking boots. Average annual rainfall in that region pushes 300 inches. Since most of the Milford Track follows a canyon floor, the trek can be a muddy slog from …
JANUARY 28, 2022 – I’d latched onto four facts about “Down Under,” two appearing in old National Geographic magazines: 1. “The most beautiful walk in the world” was at the south end of NZ’s South Island; and 2. The longest straight railway in the world (297 mi/478 km) stretched across Australia’s Nullarbor Plain. Well known …
JANUARY 27, 2022 – Blogger’s note: our younger son, Byron, asked me to post about my trip around the world–starting 41 years ago. Through the prism of my current circumstances, his suggestion inspires re-examination in fresh light. I’ll endeavor to make installments compelling without lapsing into “travelogue” mode. Photo credit: my grandmother, whose family friend, “Hoxie” …
JANUARY 25, 2022 – Yesterday my good doctor announced that treatments of my disease are having the desired effect. This was good news against the other reality he revealed: last week’s CT scan showed that many of my of bones are like “Swiss Cheese” but will repair themselves over the next few months. The “Swiss …
JANUARY 24, 2022 – Woods are fraught. Little Red Riding Hood nearly met her doom there, as did other “Grimm” characters. Belleau Wood is where U.S. Marines were baptized by fire in WW I and in the Ardennes Forest a later generation of U.S. soldiers battled the last German offensive of WW II. We still refer …
JNUARY 23, 2022 – My two greatest fortunes are: 1. High-achieving women; and 2. High-achieving men who recognize and respect the high-achieving women. At home I learned this among my grandparents, parents, and sisters; beyond, I learned it by interactive observation. Now to the angels of my current circumstances: Chelsey, Kaitlin, Annie, Cecilia, Khia, Joy, …
JANUARY 22, 2022 – Periodically, I play a mind-game in which an alien lands next to me to inquire telepathically about life on earth. Always within two minutes I’m in royal trouble trying to explain matters—as I understand them. Invariably, the alien stands in silent confusion. In the middle of yesterday’s extensive treatment sessions, the …
JANUARY 21, 2022 – Yesterday, to avoid invisible Greek inside the elevator at the specialty clinic, I trudged up four flights of stairs. Because of the extreme cold outside, I remained bound under extreme wraps inside. Plus, breathing was labored because of my tight-fitting, double mask. My upward plod in the stairwell became an enjoyable …
JANUARY 20, 2022 – Blogger’s note: This post is dedicated to my wife, the ceaselessly caring, loving mother of the mensch and the philosopher. As in politics, so in families occurs an aversion to the loss of control. My grandfather Holman controlled family affairs with an iron fist, even after all the iron was out …
JANUARY 19, 2022 – Blogger’s note with respect to the (< 10%) breach of my 500-word limit: forgiveness asked instead of permission sought. Monday night, I met a new friend named “Lorazapem,” my ticket to a road-side oasis along the insanity route I’d described in Monday’s post. Hardly cured of my disease by Tuesday morning, …
JANUARY 18, 2022 – My path is rocky but overshadowed by the suffering of worthier souls. Suddenly, I’m racing down a superhighway of collective pain, and I wonder . . .What’s the purpose and destination of such an expressway? I grip the wheel so hard it breaks from the steering column. Upon the high-speed obstacle …
JANUARY 17, 2022 – As a photography hobbyist, I target scenes. As a cancer patient, I’m targeted by new perspectives. On Saturday evening, the film, A Hidden Life, 2019 masterpiece by American filmmaker Terrance Malick (Amazon Prime)—struck the bull’s eye. It probes as deeply as a Mahler symphony and explores the soul as far as …
JANUARY 16, 2022 – Another direct lesson of serious disease is how it affects my response to “the news.” Overcrowded ERs overshadow the prospect of Putin invading Ukraine; revised CDC recommendations on masking supersedes the growing, apparent rivalry between Governor DeSantis and You-Know-Who for the 2024 Republican Presidential Nomination; bare grocery shelves because of Covid-related …
JANUARY 15, 2022 – Yesterday on the snowy return drive from the hospital—blood draws and a “long shot” (actual, not figurative) injection—my wife said I must “toughen up.” I took no offense. After all, she’s my willing and able ride to treatment. For how many people in this world is “ride to [nearby world class] …
JANUARY 14, 2022 – Our DNA evolved to accommodate “fight” when our ancestors dropped from the trees of Africa. The word still describes a central element of our personalities—individual and societal. “Fight,” some argue, is as essential to our survival as is “flight.” I harbor hope, however, that we’ll evolve enough socially and emotionally to …
JANUARY 13, 2022 – Yesterday, anxieties developed sharp edges, and the barometer of my physical condition—a one-mile walk—left me sore and tired. Yet, countering these setbacks were turns of encouragement—reminders that what falls down bounces up. Often the harder the fall, the higher the bounce. (Can we hope as much for the country we share?) …