Looking Ahead

In a city so full of history it is easy to have a backward view much of the time. And yes, I do that. I remain fascinated by the architecture, my personal musings about what life must have been at different periods, curiosity about how and when buildings and their use changed, thoughts about the ease with which I/we dismiss the difficult life choices of others, etc., etc., etc. It keeps me continually occupied – and reading.

Now, however, a forward view just has to move front and center. You see, I’ve got to do something to get out of the gloom and gray! We still have snow, admittedly not full storms as we’ve had, in the forecast and the next four days have snowdrops falling out of huge clouds. And most of the time when there isn’t snow, there also isn’t any sun to relieve the monotony. Oh drat!

Do I love Prague any less? You may be certain I do not! She is like a fascinating person who reveals her many moods and depth of wisdom only a little at a time. And yes, I want to continue to learn about her past and participate in her future, to continue to explore the hidden places I often overlook when moving straight forward through a day.

I’m beginning my own “tour” plan, thanks to one of the StJ staff members I’ve gotten to know and admire. She was telling me about her Tour ‘d Prague, weekly trips made randomly to different neighborhoods with her trusty guide book (Czech, darn it) telling all about the various houses and neighborhoods. So I’ve adopted her idea, and as soon as the weather takes a turn for the better, a friend and I are going to set up our own routine. Yesterday I went on a shopping trip (very unusual for me) to a large bookstore right on Václavské Náměstí, the historic square (really a long boulevard) in the center of town. My first purchase (thanks to a lovely C’mas gift from Michael) was a beautiful, full color book about the house markings -- frescoes, statues, wooden signs, etc. -- of historic Prague. There are only a few words on each page, plus an outline map of the location, and it is grouped by neighborhoods. It’ll keep us going till we find other books. Fortunately it is not "coffee table" size even though it is "coffee table" beauty.

And speaking of books, my latest “super read” is For the Love of Prague by Gene Deitch, an American living here nonstop since 1959 – can you believe it -- and very happily married to a Czech. It's really great, if you’re interested in a down-to-earth, first-person account of life from then till now. Mine was the fifth edition, so he's been constantly updating. He is, by the way, an Oscar winning animator who’s worked with Maurice Sendak et al. Very readable and very informative.

So yes, there’s a lot to look forward to. I still have a great teaching schedule, though it has been slower lately (and that’s a good thing) because of cancellations for vacations, heavy work schedules and travel, etc. But I continue to have really super students and look forward to each day.

And I’ve now learned the reason for my multiple xrays, CT scan, bronchoscopy, and doctor’s visits. It turns out I (my body, my lungs, my system, some part of me) had an allergic reaction in my lungs to the pneumonia bacteria. That’s a new one for my medical storehouse! It’s what my “superdoc” saw on all the pictures that he couldn’t identify – and wouldn’t quit until he could! It’s also the reason it’s taking so much longer for me to bounce back (besides age, of course). I continue to be so grateful for the good medical care here. And I continue to get my energy back slowly, noticing little differences each day. The same ol’ “me” – one more thing to look forward to.

Once again I feel so blessed to be living this new chapter of my life. Who would have thought this would be what I could look forward to. Not I. And a backward glance tells me I need to keep watching out for and paying attention to opportunities, big and small. I can see so many wonderful events that prepared me to this time which were totally unappreciated at the time.

I hope your forward look is in place, getting ready for spring, longer days, more sunshine, and new opportunities!

Happy Anniversary to Me

Two years and counting! And what a wonderful time it has been. It feels as though I am in a “perfect middle”, a sort of wonderland between what has been and what will be. It’s difficult to remember all the feelings – excitement, exhaustion, sadness, anticipation, curiosity, (and that’s only the beginning of the list) – of that long ago plane ride. It’s easy to remember the first few days – the people who helped things move forward, the sense of belonging, and most of all, the rightness of moving into a new chapter. It would have been impossible to imagine all the wonders of these past two years.

Some of my musings are about places which have become my favorites: Brevnov Monastery, the Dvorak Museum, Uherske Hradiste (the lovely Moravian town with its annual festival and dear friends), several cozy restaurants, the Zoo, the peace of centuries old sanctuaries, the tram rides past decades and centuries of buildings both graceful and graceless. More often I think of friends, colleagues, and students, the “new” people whose lives have become so important in mine and the seamless way they blend in with those who continue to remain ever present in my thoughts if not my current geography.

It’s the to-do-to-go list which seems to claim a lot of my attention, however. Perhaps it’s the snow and cold, perhaps it’s just a general January routine, or most probably it’s the realization that this isn’t a suspension of some sort – time really is moving along. I’m keeping a real list now, not a mental one, of sunny-day expeditions and rainy-day retreats, places to visit when I have one day free vs. places to go when I have an extra day off. What is difficult is that they all seem to be equally important, none seems optional. Oh my, just have to get at it!

So here I am at the two-year mark, living in the past, the present, and the future all at the same time, and loving every minute of it, whether it's new and exciting or ordinary and frustrating. They are all mine, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be or nothing else I'd rather be doing.

The best thing now, however, is my return to health. It is both amazing and wonderful to see little bits of improvement each day. I see my “super specialist” again Friday for new x-rays. Probably the best description of my feeling now is “cautious optimism”. I know I’m getting better; I just don’t know what my lungs look like.

I begin teaching part time Monday. Am I ready? Probably not as ready as I think I am. And I know I will have to watch the energy level carefully. I’ve been warned about overdoing, and I’m paying attention. A trip to StJ yesterday taught me how quickly I can tire. Again I am so blessed. And so very grateful.

And yes, I want to keep counting these anniversaries, creating new memories, enjoying new friends, and sharing it all with you. It is a new experience to consider it all from this healing cocoon. Now I must get on with doing it! A new year with all its possibilities, just waiting to be lived. . . .

Have a wonderful February – spring is coming!