GOTTHARD PASS: "At last, some light without heat at the middle of the tunnel!" PLInkletter yodeled movingly, "But what is a mountain to faith anyway?"

Be all that as it may, meanwhile:

'In other news…'

15^th October 2010

Friday: What a beautiful balmy spring, nay, yay, October day! A good day for a very short story:

Equanimity

"You've got cancer."

His doctor hadn't sat down yet. Maybe it was his way of avoiding eye contact when he had to tell younger people, well, younger that retirement age people, that serious news. A caring fellow, he actually touched you, the touch of concern beyond and over diagnosis. It must wear, this bad news stuff, delivering it. Take its toll.

Who could blame him for contriving means to deliver it.

The man took a second, maybe a second and a half, to register and process the announcement, more probably because his doctor invariably was seated and looking at him when he first spoke at an appointment, after the niceties at the door that is. A relevant medical statement from the middle of the room from a moving doctor carrying some whatever to the bookshelf, his back to him, all a bit out of the ordinary. And so, the time delay for the cognizance was as much that the medical talk had begun out of place, the man wasn't concentrating.

The doctor always began with a question like "What can I do for you today?"

After the niceties.

The man was quiet for most of the appointment, asking questions sparingly, also on another matter. And there were the mountain of usual prescriptions to have written. Out of most things – it had been likely five months.

Some time into the appointment, was it before the poor line take your chance eventually when it's worsened written referral, or after? the doctor asked "Are you in shock?"

"No," the man said, truthfully, leaving it at that. He'd been mildly surprised, no shock.

When the man got to his car, in the undercover, he was thinking in a different frame than when he went in.

He had considered in the past that he might not tell his wife if he was to get a serious diagnosis one day.

Decision time.

What decided it was, if the tables were turned, what would I want? He immediately resolved to tell her on his return, bury the dysfunction that spawned such ideas. Time might be short, how inconsequential the decades of bullshit, perceived and real, now.

She had left a message on the mobile, he discovered, back in the car, when resetting it back from silent. He rang her to answer the message: he'd forgotten to unload the vegetables, leafy ones, from yesterday's shopping, still under the false floor in the hatch section.

"How's it all going? What were the results?"

"Oh yeah, pretty good, I'll talk more about it when I get back."

(She already knew, 'psychic' should be her middle name.)

Driving home, among his many thoughts, he was delighted to observe himself having no trepidation, utterly none. The countless times he'd thought of this possibility one day, and integrated it with his growing existential level certainties, discussing with himself often the opinion that he had no longer any fear of death, and what do you know, effortlessly, no deep breath and force himself to see the bright side, it has just, unconsciously almost, happened.

The drive gave him much time to feel concern for a wife and adult child; this, if it came to it, would be where the effort would be needed…

***

Lateline: The (Leigh) Sales Graph: Little wonder Ms Sales scintillated tonight, for she had an in-studio interview with no less than that living national treasure, David Suzuki.

While Mr Suzuki chose a casual look in his red shaded open necked shirt, Ms Sales kept up her usual professional standard, tonight choosing an ivory jacket with a deep blue camisole, fetching convex flared hair style swept back behind her ears, subtle-effect makeup and tiny pearl earrings.

David Suzuki shared much wisdom under the gentle direction of Leigh Sales in this wonderful LATELINE interview

It was a treat to listen to Mr Suzuki share graciously from his deep well of wisdom under sensitive direction from Ms Sales, who clearly had an affinity with and respect for her honoured guest.

David Suzuki gave his shared wisdom a little emphasis here and there during his LATELINE interview

The topic was mainly the state of the planet and human society's impacts. It was touching and inspirational to listen to Mr Suzuki's account of the month he spent with his father before his death.

I commend Ms Sales' light touch during the whole interview, which allowed Mr Suzuki to shine through. Another interview to treasure from the professionals within our ABC.

+paytontedwithlove+