Status Report

First of all I want to thank everybody who has been in touch with me the last week or so. I have received countless e-mails and text messages since my last post. It is gratifying and humbling to know that so many people care about me. It is also fascinating to realize that many of you came to "know" Hugh and Laura through these pages or from the usual back and forth on Facebook. This is indeed a brave new world that has such people in it.

I made up that last sentence myself. Bet y'all are relieved that my puckish sense of humor survived the recent unpleasantness intact.

Anyway, everybody is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances. I spoke with Laura and Camille last night. Camille is excited about her new camera and the photography class she is enrolled in. Laura,in turn, learned way more than she wanted to know in response to the perfectly innocent question "What does SLR mean?" She probably won't answer her phone for a couple of weeks if she sees me on the Caller ID.

As for me, I'm doing OK too. Between Governor's School Auditions and doing a music review for the paper when I got back in town in addition to the day job, I was a little busier than I needed to be. I was a lot more exhausted than I realized. It takes a lot of energy to get through such a traumatic event. And I don't have as much as I used to.

I don't know when I'll get back here. There's a lot going on right now, both in my head and in my heart. These recent events have caused me to look at a great many issues with a different perspective.

But it is Spring and Spring won't let one be idle. Miracle League is coming up along with Major League Baseball. The NFL is on strike which promises to be amusing and the NCAA Tournament starts next week. Golf tournaments have been entered during which we can expect the usual finger pointing and recriminations. But just sitting here on the porch swing with some amber liquid sounds pretty good too.

Like I said in the last post, I will be back. I just don't know when. But thanks for asking. I appreciate it.

I invited Laura to come see me this Spring. She and Hugh loved their last visit to Hillcrest. She said she just might do it.

And when she comes we will sit right here on this swing together. And I bet she won't ask me any more questions about cameras.