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Courage Beyond Bravery
It is not easy writing about one's own courageous acts, since the criticism of "braggart" or "egomaniac" can easily surface. So this is not an easy article for me to write. But I write it not to extol my own virtues, but rather to put to rest an untrue and damaging common belief widely circulated. I refer to the false notion that men are pansies when it comes to being sick. Earlier this month I was smitten by a vile, miserable disease, the likes of which most have never seen. I did not whine. I did not whimper. Instead when the folks at the emergency room gave me the diagnosis, in a calm manner I accepted my fate. While not looking forward to it, I knew I had to let my beloved Janine know what the future held. Here is a true transcript:
GREG: Janine, sit down, there is something I need to tell you.
JANINE: Not another fly rod!
GREG: No worse, I mean better, well, it guess it depends on whether a new fly rod would be good or bad....
JANINE: OK, so what's up.
GREG: Please, sit down.
JANINE: I am sitting. Have you finally decided to take up drinking?
GREG: Let me tell this in my own way. Janine, I love you and have really enjoyed our time together. 28 years has not really seemed long enough. But you need to know, the emergency room has told me I have a viral upper respiratory infection. Gasp.
JANINE: A cold?
GREG: Well, that's what some people call it, but it's really a viral upper respiratory infection.
JANINE: Thanks for telling me, don't breathe on me please.
I could tell she wanted to say more, but under the circumstances, what could you say?
As the viral upper respiratory infection progressed, I stoically dealt with it's awful symptoms. I remember at one point when I was blowing my nose, everything went dark, and then I saw a tunnel, And at the end of the tunnel, there was a bright light, and music. Yes music at the end of the tunnel, and I was walking toward the music. Then I suddenly realized what was happening and the understanding that my tombstone would say "Died Blowing His Nose, That's the Way it Goes" brought me back. I mentioned the tunnel to Janine, and she just said, "Don't breathe on me." I could tell she was choked up.
After about a week the disease went away, and I recovered completely despite the odds. The only aftermath of my disease is that Janine seemed to come down with a common cold immediately after my recovery, but nothing to worry about, she just had a cold.
