In my COVID fever fog last week, I heard through an open window the non-mechanical hacking of Grady splitting wood for our fireplace.
In my delirium, I thought back to William Faulkner’s acclaimed-yet-disturbing book, As I Lay Dying. In the opening chapter, the mother of the house is lying in bed, listening as her husband builds her coffin outside.
Then my fever brain jumps to another memory.
Long ago, I had a hobbyist blacksmith working in my graphics department. During his time at FAB he worked, in his backyard shop, on building his mother-in-law’s coffin. He was proud of his work with its forged hinges and hardware. And he was proud of his family’s unity in accepting the inevitable outcome of advanced cancer. He even went so far as to get permission from the city to bury his mother-in-law in the backyard.
At the time, it seemed odd. But now, in my ague, it sounds strangely comforting. Unlike leaf blowers and mowers, the non-mechanical sound of hard labor is in someway comforting.
A Different Kind of Cocktail Party
Today that fever brain feels like a long time ago. Because of the lingering effects of my COVID vaccine and a regiment of Paxlovid (a new medicine that reduces the severity of the symptoms), I thankfully had a short-lived illness.
Once COVID free, I followed up with a pro-active wellness plan, including a saline/vitamin C cocktail put straight into my vein from Zen IV Infusion. At their recent open house, they circulated a platter of syringes; each filled with a healthful “cocktail” of vitamins and saline which they then administer as a intramuscular shot. A cocktail for all ages.
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