Saturday, 12 August 2022

I’ve just returned from the ILSG Iceland Field Trip. I had a great time. The question is, What’s next?

Looking back, 2022 has been marked by my bout with prostate cancer. The surgery, and subsequent recovery, went better than my most optimistic expectations. I have virtually no complications to deal with from the surgery, and I’ve regained my conditioning and even made strides in improving my strength. And I now have a regular exercise regime of strength and stretching, in addition to my running.

Continuing on the health thread, I have also now had a round of (very mild) Covid, and I have developed peripheral neuropathy in my second and third toes on each foot. The neuropathy has not intensified or advanced over the last month, but still it is a matter of concern. A visit to my primary care physician resulted in a lot of blood work, which showed nothing problematic – too bad, because most causes that can be identified by bloodwork can be addressed by either lifestyle or medication changes. There is more to be said here – what, if anything, do I do next – but that is not what I wanted to write about.

Because of the circumstances of the moment – having had to isolate due to Covid, friends being away or unavailable, and the aftermath of my travel – I’ve had three weeks outside of my weekly routine. I miss it, and am sorry I haven’t been able to restart it yet. In its absence, I doubly appreciate the way in which it gives structure and meaning to my life. In particular, I’ve missed the semi-structured chat with friends: ‘book chats’ with CT, CS, and KC , and the ‘pleasant chats’ with CH, CD, WK, HA, SG, and RB.

The question I’m concerned with are my plans for the immediate and intermediate future. For the first time in a very long time, I have no ‘big thing’ in the future to focus on, whether it be exciting (Iceland), or daunting (surgery and post-surgical recovery). And I think I feel the absence of some longer-term task to anticipate, and that will to some extent shape the nature of my daily activities. Although, it may also be the case that once I resume my weekly routine – running, piano, chats, reading – that structure may be enough.

Still, thinking about longer term plans and goals is not a bad thing.

On the Iceland trip, I posted short essays on some aspect of what I saw each day; I thought some were quite good, and I received a lot of especially positive feedback on the final one. It is also the case that once I got into the rhythm of writing every day, with the intent to post something to an audience, I found that to be a great way of reflecting and focusing on my experience, and of occupying myself during the longish periods of car travel. So, one possible larger project is to begin a blog with regular entries for an audience. I don’t think I could sustain, or would want to sustain, daily entries, but every week or two seems viable. And, having the series of post on Facebook seems like not a bad way to have primed the audience, so to speak. So, I think now is the time to try launching the more public blog. The worst that can happen is that I am unable to sustain it… and that’s really not such a terrible thing.

This seems like a good and timely next step. However, it is an on-going activity, not a long term goal or challenge to anticipate. My current thought is that I should just continue as I have been, planning the occasional trip to Yosemite, or elsewhere, for some hiking. Maybe something for late fall in Yosemite. I think I would also like to start planning the occasional trip during the winter – part of my current discontent may simply be a vague feeling that there will be nothing until next summer, which given my increased awareness of the finite period of vigor I have ahead of me, seems not soon enough.

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