While I am exceedingly grateful I survived cancer twice, the experience has turned me into a bit of a hypochondriac. I always assume the worst. I bet you cancer survivors out there know exactly what I mean.
For example, I was at the optometrist this week. There was some sort of anomaly in one of the screening tests, and the assistant said the doctor would decide what to do next. Then she dumped me in a room to wait for the doctor.
It seemed to be taking forever, so I sat there and let my imagination run wild. I assumed they were out there trying to figure out how to tell me I’m going blind. I thought, well, I probably have a few good years. I’ll make the most of it.
The doctor finally appeared and said everything was consistent with all my previous exams. And then it was all which is better, this one or this one?
So silly of me, I know, but also such a sigh of relief. I almost danced my way out of there.
I’m contemplating volunteer options. I started with a list of considerations, because most of the goodness in the universe starts with a solid list. I have dozens of half-filled journals hanging around, and I’m using one of those to document my observations, but I might go crazy and buy a new one. Nothing like a fresh journal to get the juices flowing! Well, maybe a new pen?
Here are the categories so far:
- Skills/Talents
- Casual Interests
- Passionate Interests
- Groups I Identify With
- Groups I Prefer to Avoid
- Activity Level
- Time Commitment
Although I’m just getting started, I’ve already realized a few things. I do not want to work with children. Nor hospice. I get fired up about current events and am open to volunteering for a political organization, but I need to think that through carefully. Even though I’m a proud Democrat, I’m not sure I want to spend my volunteer time drinking the Kool-Aid with other Democrats. Maybe something nonpartisan, like the League of Women Voters.
At first I thought I’d prefer an office setting. The county website says they sometimes need volunteers for senior legal aid. Doing office work for the lawyers and such. Seemed like a good fit at first, but then I remembered jury duty and how hard it was on my body to sit all day. Even when I write at home, I have to get up a lot and do other things to keep my joints and muscles from rebelling.
Finally, there’s writing, which is a strength and something I do anyway. Is there a way to make that more service-oriented? To experiment, I’m following up on a current theme that is driving me nuts. Trump has stepped in it again with regard to his comments and interactions with military veterans. I’m a veteran, and my husband is retired military.
I feel a calling to help educate voters – you know, eyes wide open. Even if they choose to support him, they’ll know what they’ve signed up for.
However, I haven’t found a concise summary of all the things (and there are many) he has said and done to disparage the military over the years. And what I have found often cherry-picks the most current mess.
When I was on jury duty, both the prosecution and the defense did the same thing with evidence. The information as presented was hard to digest and didn’t seem to tell the whole story. When we went into deliberation, we struggled to make sense of it all and put a lot of effort into making a timeline before we could arrive at a verdict.
We needed to see it in chronological order, and that’s what I’m working on with regard to Trump. I want to see how his comments about veterans unfold over time. I’d like it to be a one-pager that someone could share with a friend or family member who may not realize the broad scope of Trump’s years-long disrespect for the military.
On the entertainment front, I haven’t been reading as much, but there are some great shows streaming. The new season of Hotel Portofino is out on PBS Masterpiece. The show is about an English woman running a hotel on the coast of Italy in the 20s and 30s. Fascism is on the rise, and her family drama makes everything harder than it has to be. PBS is stingy with the once-a-week drop, but that seems to be popular these days.
On Hulu, I’m enjoying Only Murders in the Building with Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez. Steve plays a TV has-been, Martin is a semi-washed up Broadway director and Selena is young and wondering what the hell to do with her life. They get together to start a true crime podcast after someone in their building is murdered.
The first episode of the fourth season dropped this week. The show is silly but in a good way. Lots of famous people have small roles, and it’s fun to see who shows up. Tina Fey, Meryl Steep, Jane Lynch, Mel Brooks, Sting …
Another great show that recently aired on Netflix is Discovery of Witches. I’ve seen it before and vowed I would not watch it again, but here I am on season two. I’ve also read the trilogy! It’s so good, and I’m catching things I missed the first time around.
The story is about vampires, witches and demons, who live by a covenant that says they can’t intermingle. Their powers are fading in the modern age, and a youngish witch seems to be the key to discovering their origins and how they will survive in the future. Oh, and she falls in love with a vampire.
Well, this is longer than my usual post, but that’s why it’s called Rambling Thursday.
Dear Donna, I am a non-voter, which I suppose you would find negative? In 78 years I voted once. The Brexit vote in Britain. I voted Yes! Now, despite a clear majority voting similarly, the new Labour Government is about to cancel (they scored a majority with only 34% of the vote) that. Crazy.