Sidetracked Charley

The once new year of 2012 seems to be moving to a rapid conclusion. Well, unless the Mayans (or our translations of the Mayans) are right in which case it will end before it ends on December 21st. There are times I think that would not be such a bad thing but then I do not fear the end of days. It is the steady plodding forward that sometimes seems the most disconcerting. That an our propensity to make the passage of time into milestones. I just returned from my first ever class reunion. We were marking the 49th since graduation. I don't think we looked much worse for wear. A small sampling of the best and brightest And the day after the September 8th reunion I realized it was 27 years of sobriety, two years since my ex-husband died because he would not get sober, and ten years since 9/11 was today. They do seem to be making people better these days, even if China is turning out inferior merchandise. I was more surprised at the reunion at those that did not make it to t...

Wayfaring Stranger If I had to pick a theme for 2012 up to now it would be revisiting my youth. No, I did not go back to disco dancing in bars. But I have reconnected to a past forgot in a step by step and sometimes painful process. A funny thing happened December 24, 2001. I had a ski accident. Not one caused by skiing too fast or otherwise pushing the envelope of my abilities as a downhill skier. Another skier slammed into me while I was teaching a lesson. At least that is what the accident report says. I don't remember it. Except for one or two out of body flashes four hours of my life was instantly gone. A half hour before and 3 1/2 hours afterwards is not unusual in a closed brain trauma. Eleven years ago we didn't know as much about CBT's as we do now. The Iraq War has taught us a lot about them and their different manifestations. But then I was treated and streeted because it was Christmas Eve and I was walking and talking. Now we know about walk/talk/die CB...