Without Fear

Tecumseh, Shawnee warrior and chief
Statue at the U.S. Naval Academy

So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home. - Tecumseh*

Amen to that...

Now all that wasn't meant to harsh your mellow, just a great quote to live by. Be ready, but don't dwell on mortality. Good man that Tecumseh.

If I had known that July was going to be this much fun, I may have prepared myself better.

Last Tuesday (the day before I tried to lop my finger off with a door into the house) I noticed in the morning that the vision in my right eye (i.e. "the good one") seemed slightly blurry. It happens, especially on those "get up early and go to work" days.

Thought nothing of it until I noticed (at lunch) that the blurriness hadn't gone away. In fact, I was seeing slightly double with just the one eye (again, "the good one"). Called my eye doc, she was booked but one of her colleagues was available for a check of the old oculus dextrus.

What with the blurry eye and the approaching holiday, I decided that not only would I leave early on Tuesday (02 July) but would stay home on the 3rd (had the 4th and 5th off anyway). The 3rd being, of course, the day of the attempted digit lopping. (I suppose the door could claim a "probable" kill. There was a lot of blood spillage.)

Turns out the right eye was low on whatever eyes get low on. (As a phormer Phantom phixer I'm guessing it's some sort of hydraulic fluid.) Anyhoo, I now have drops for that, the next day (prior to the finger lopping) the eye was just fine. I was happy. For a while anyway.

So, on Monday (gestern) I had to go in for a pre-op consult. Getting a cataract removed on the 25th of July. I opted for the status quo ante bellum**, rather than get a super-duper new left eye lens (which would require wearing a contact in the right, maybe a monocle? - Not gonna happen) I opted for "make it like it was before the vitreous went insane, er, shrunk and messed up the retina. (The vitrectomy that I had last October can cause a cataract to form. In my case, did cause a cataract to form. Och well, time to get it fixed.

Finger still hurts, typing is less than fun, but I do it all for y'all. (Did I get that right, Tennessee?) I feel the need to spin tales and talk of history. So yeah, finger is better, hasn't fallen off yet. I get to see an orthopedic doc tomorrow, follow up from the ER visit.

Wish me luck, or better yet (let's not tempt fate), just say "Hals und Beinbruch!"

Gettin' old ain't for sissies.

Ciao.




*H/t B. Benson, USMC
** The "bellum," or war, being the unprovoked attack of the vitreous upon my left retina. Infamy and all that, dontcha know?