Trees and Cats and a Glimmer of Hope in Everyday Ramblings

I was touched when I met Mrs. Sherlock at church on Sunday (we went to hear our now fully ordained former intern minister because she is young and woke and full of the fire of change and the enthusiasm for all of us taking care of each other) and during the offertory Mrs. Sherlock announced that we were going to an art gallery and that she had a tree to show me.

No, not this tree. This I believe is a magisterial elm. The tree she wanted to show me is a huge black locust nearby. I am sure their roots talk to each other and they have a fair amount to say about the mostly drug addled and mentally disabled folks that hang out underneath them.

The gallery show was of large color photographs, as big as paintings, of people in their bedrooms taken by a woman with many of the right art world credentials.

Mrs. Sherlock had heard about the show at a writing workshop she is taking as a favor to fill in for a friend that couldn’t make it. It is a short workshop and I am a little vague on the details and it surprised me because Mrs. Sherlock is only an occasional and purely functional writer. The facilitator of the workshop is my former coordinator at the church who I am very fond of so I am sure it is well put together and good.

The people in the photographs are of folks mostly that live a bit on the margins. A couple of folks in low cost hotels, lots of tattoos sprinkled around, a young woman in some sort of van, a boy with three dogs in the desert near a shack, couples in small bedrooms, the kinds of folks Mrs. Sherlock used to see as a home health nurse. There is directness, a dignity to them, and vulnerability that is moving.

She said they reminded her of the pictures I was taking last year of the folks living rough around the yoga studio.

Even though I slept a great deal last weekend I was still tired and kind of spaced out Sunday. I found myself overwhelmed by the hubbub at church and it was good to get out and spend a little time admiring these trees.

We got iNaturalist set up on her phone when we went for tea later. It was a gorgeous day out and the neighborhood around the gallery was packed.

I feel like I am turning a corner here after the drama with my heart and all the new drugs. I am slowly but surely getting back to things that interest me and make me feel good.

And Diego is almost completely recovered and Carlo is on his way. I hope this virus doesn’t become a chronic thing with them. Two sick cats at the same time are a lot of work and worry. At least now all the bedding and towels in my place are clean.

It’s been hot, not as bad as for so many of you, but hot enough to be avoidant of long periods unprotected outdoors. Today we had a cloud break although it is still warm. The room I teach in is not air-conditioned but it is naturally cool so I never know how it is going to be in there for class.

Today in the office I spent an hour with a lovely middle-aged man, starting a new career as a counselor and we went over my resume in great detail (including the spaces next to the dashes). He is an intern getting experience in the organization in which I work. He was sane, compassionate and had useful suggestions.

Talking to him helped me clarify the work I need to do on my position description later this week. With the option of the medical leave it is true that now I have a number of avenues to help keep my focus positive, and to know there are exit points if things start to get to me again. He suggested some constructive ideas about creating timelines for my exit plan.

49 Weeks! I have an intuition there are a number of giant elms in my future. :)