#161 / 2010 Winter: New Orleans

DECEMBER 5

#161

We are normal again, just with  new information. I can walk around and enjoy myself without the roar in my head. We have been in New Orleans for four days  now, camped out in the parking lot of the Nix Branch Public Library on S. Carrollton. We  have urban camped here so many times before and we never get hassled.

We head down to the Rue de la Course Coffeehouse in the morning for coffee and to visit their facilities. Joe has started keeping a journal as well. I haven’t read it, Don’t know when I will. We dined in the Quarter for last night’s dinner, me having my long awaited for post oil spill PoBoy sandwich, and it was delicious,

On the trolley road home he told me of his thoughts. “I see a crippled person and I wonder what if I could trade with that person, I would be lame, but I would be alive. I see a blind person and wonder could I trade with them? At least I would be alive.”

It was so poignant. He won’t get those options. I asked, “What of the denouement.”

“Well I don’t really have one, I guess, accept I will bend to some greater calling.”

And so it must be. This morning we are grateful because Joe says he really feels good. He walked almost two miles yesterday. He was really tired when we got back to the van but there were no repercussions whatsoever. And the area around his liver feels better today he claims. So maybe the Chinese herbs are helping.

“I’m glad we are already doing something pro-active,” he said. It will be a while yet before we can see a doctor and start his treatments. We have at least a thousand miles to drive yet.

When Joe got back to the van last night I got him all comfortable so I could go on out and get some exercise. I see something new happening with us. He just gazes at me. Tenderly, quietly. There is so much going on between our eyes, his gentle stare at me, my gaze back at him. And we claim a profound love there, unspoken.

I feel that he is already relinquishing a  little bit of life over to me. You go, you exercise, I’ll be here waiting. I can only imagine that look increasing as time goes on. The look.