PLEASE read the Oliver Sacks’ piece in today’s New York Times. One of the best pieces ever from one of the smartest and most interesting men in the country. (Hilary adds that he is not just smart… he is deeply empathetic which is rarer.)
He just got a death sentence (at 81) and is contemplating how to spend his remaining months. Brilliant. After age 70 or 80 a lot of us spend a lot of time wondering how to spend our remaining years or whatever, and how to keep death from swamping all thought and purpose (albeit, not on such a short compass). He is looking at it on a very short compass indeed, and he is SO smart about it.
Take a look, Chris
I had a comment and am trying to plug it in
What happens next?
Dear Crowleys,
First thing I did was check out the book “Younger…” The librarian looked at me kinda funny and seemed relieved when I also ordered up David Brooks “The Road to Character.” Next thing I did were to read p. 267 on and go “hee hee” through the evening. (About patting: There’s the story of the incompatible couple–he had no income and she wasn’t pattable.) And then I googled Hilary Cooper and found I loved her portraits.
My interest– I spent 38 wonderful years with a redhead and even bought an avocado sofa and chair to match his hair. (I hope the angels now appreciate his great sense of humor. )
But left on earth, I reminisce. Back at Dana Hall there was this dance with Exeter and a boy with bright red hair was center stage. I danced with him once, but he was out of my league. So I turned to sour grapes. He was Catholic, the forbidden species. And he probably did the debutante circuit which my family didn’t want and couldn’t afford.
I married the western boy (both of us were circa 30) who was in law school at the time. When it became apparent that if a couple came to a lawyer for a divorce, my husband would patch it up instead, no charge it was time to make a change. Grades in law were so-so. Thus Bill Waddell became a psychiatric social worker and a Presbyterian minister. (John Calvin meets Chris Crowley.)
Because there is more similarity between England and New England than between New England and the rest of America, I am from another country.
Hi!
Mary Waddell tookeywaddell2002@yahoo.com
wonderful note… wonderful life Chris
Wonderful piece. Stirring. I wish him good journey now and later.