Rehab

It's something new to wake up in the morning feeling good.

Most of the changes were gradual. Attention to the the physical vehicle -- its need for regular exercise, appropriate and healthful food, and sufficient sleep and rest -- came slowly, over time.

Other changes were more sudden and dramatic: smoking cessation; parting from Rose. I thought I could never live without Rose. I loved her instinctively, the way a flower loves the sun. Even more than that, I thought I couldn't live without a woman, as I have for all the last 40 years but three. But now I"m finding that it's not only possible, but best that I should live alone. Not quite a hermit in a cave, but something similar.

Along with changes in the body, changes in the mind are now beginning to occur. These are deliberately induced, but I don't know where they're going. The most noticeable effects so far are increased mindfulness, and increased confidence.

I want to keep a fire going in the fireplace. I'll need to find and cut some wood. I'm not doing too bad for a guy of 65.

Photograph by Mathilda Williams.

--30--