feeling a bit old, and not.

[da]

Last night d. and I went to sleep at 10:15. I woke up feeling creaky.

In this morning's paper, I was most enthusiastic to read the obits. And a piece about some musician close to death.

The obit that made the most impression on me was yet another "I remember" piece from a reader, about Sheela Basrur, a doctor and public servent who was Ontario's public face during the 2003 SARS crisis. At the time I asked d. how the public service sector managed to hire such an intelligent spokesperson. Since she died on Monday, the Globe and Mail has printed a large number of remembrances; today's was from a 25-year-old woman whose career in health care were directly chosen because Basrur immediately stood out to her, as well; in her case, first as an ethnic minority and a woman; then, for her career and dedication to improving healthcare. And they met, and Basrur backed her up when she got a panel of male doctors mad at her at a conference. It just made me smile.

And the Arts section profiled Oliver Schroer, a violinist with leukemia who expects he has one concert left in him. And two CDs. And whatever else comes together. Dude! The article makes me wish I were half as energetic and focused and upbeat with whatever time I do have left.

So yeah. I'll keep feeling old-and-young. It probably helps that I seem to have slept 9.5 hours last night. So aside from being a bit creaky, and obsessed with death this morning, I feel great.

Also, some of that Oliver Schroer guy's music is beautiful- one of his CDs is from walking the Camino de Santiago through France and Spain and recording music in some of the churches he passes through. Tis haunting, and I expect I'll buy it in physical form instead of via itunes, because it comes with a booklet with photos of the churches.

Comments

[nobodyhere.livejournal.com]

I didn't even make it to 10 p.m. last night. I love sleep.

I hope your creaks subside!

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

Yes; they did, thanks; bicycling in to work helped considerably.

Let's hear it for sleep! ("gimmie a z! gimmie a z! gimmie a z!....")

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who reads obituaries with such interest!

It often saddens me to find out about all these interesting people only after they have died!

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

Completely.

Even with people you "sort of" know- I've made that comment to friends, before, and also in Quaker Meeting- how is it that we only learn how interesting our friends and acquaintances are are *after* they've died?

I've had an idea percolating that the local Quakers should do a series of morning talks on "my spiritual journey"- I've seen this done elsewhere, and it takes the form of an hour where you tell your story to a bunch of friends. It sounds potentially quite intimidating, and yet quite interesting...

And now the question comes to me; how to make a leap from that to the lives we share over LJ? I'm thinking of a blog meme, "write about one thread of your life, to date. Here are half a dozen thematic ideas."

Or, in real life, perhaps- an evening dinner-and-talk session where you invite seven friends over and and do much the same, face-to-face. Once a week, at rotating houses. Eight weeks later, perhaps you each form another group... Hm.

Hm.