“Out of The Bog ” [H&W series ]
Some folks contend that man crawled out of some primordial swamp –
It matters little to my life (my basement still gets damp);
And, furthermore, “the bog of life” is how we often speak –
“Bogged down am I”; “I’m in a ditch.”; “I’m stuck”, we sometimes tweet.Well, I’ve been there these last few years, and at its edge. I stand;
Slime is no longer oozing twixt my toes here on dry land,
But edge of that primordial swamp of life’s accustomed ways
Is very much a thought these days as I seek work that pays.I used to think I could not slip back into fog and mist
Arising from that oozing mess – that I was fortune kissed;
But Christmas-time when I went back to customary life,
Taught me I was deluded – “Chronic” means deep change alright.That is, if I don’t make a deep change, of fundamental sort,
That chronic set of factors will appear on health report;
I get to choose – keep sliding back, or face with dignity
And courage all these changes now, that new life I might see.“Step one,” The big book terms, it, as I look back at its words –
“ Admitted we were powerless” – that struggle was absurd;
Or willing it to go away without deep change in me,
Like “letting go and letting God”, was quite absurd, you see.The “second step” was just as clear – “My life’s a swampy mess;
I cannot manage “chronic” factors day on day, unless
There is some change beyond my power of ‘willing’ there to be
A better life in time that’s left, like better memory.In early days my feet got wet as swamp encroached on me;
The “rabbit hutch” was incident where I could clearly see
There was a problem – turned away, then back – to my surprise,
I’d put the lid back on the feed – already – no more lies –“Could bury what was happening – I took an online test;
It indicated much the same – two minutes, I’d forget –
At end of test it said, “What was the item at the first?”
I could not say (told to retain), confirmed my fears – “The worst”!From then, my life was “sticky notes” and “timers with a buzz, ”
Then notes on timers telling me just what its purpose was;
And shopping lists (beyond two things, or three if day was fine) –
One time I got all twisted ’round at night – I’d crossed a line.There were three things I knew could help back at the start of this:
“Three cups of coffee”; “walk each day (8K a week, don’t miss).”
And “learn a language” (Spanish rose for me to help my son,
And shifting to the Spanish church) – remission had begun.But I knew well, that just pushed back the darkness of the night;
It could not halt that dread disease, my time was getting tight;
My mom, her siblings, and some friends all had it in the end;
I knew quite well how this played out, that road had little bend.This time last year, my YouTube feed kicked up. “Dale Bredesen” –
Ten years success he’d had to date – Alzheimer’s He could end;
Was this just “snake-oil” like the West in pioneering days?
Or was this guy, legitimate? At times, such caution pays.We read his books aloud back then, quite hard to comprehend;
My training was humanities, his terms would quickly send
Me back to YouTube to find out, “Whatever does he mean?”
Some kid would then explain each term, more clearly (that’s my team!)I settled in to plug-and-play each part I understood;
Progress was slow and painful, but I’d win this if I could;
Three months or four it was before I knew Dale was legit;
Just “hard to comprehend” He was, but progress could be quick.I sought the aid of Dr.-A, As quarterback for me;
Not much that he could do back then, got tests that I would need;
The confirmation came in soon – “It’s SCI”, she said –
“Subjective” was “impairment”, of the “workings of my head”.“First stage (most changeable)” – the folks at Calgary opined,
“But we no longer do that work with him, his work, we find
Is what we do – “Its functional” – we’ve done it here for years.”
They tipped me off to Oregon, lest I succumb to fears.That day was like the Christmas yarn – an angel with good news –
“I bring to you and all mankind glad tidings – don’t refuse
To look in stables, under rocks, or anywhere to get
The treasurer-trove of your release” – do that and you’ll be set.”And then a host of Angels came, quite ordinary folks,
Who sang a new approach to life; high time that I awoke
To changes I could make each day to “soil tree roots were in”
So nutrients of life could flow through roots – new life begin.I checked them out quite thoroughly – could they speed up my task
The understanding Bredesen? I needed info fast;
Three other groups appeared online, I checked each one to see
What each one stressed, left out, advised, as lifestyle-change for me.I realized there would be work to sharpen up my axe –
That I could faster progress make in comprehension-task,
If I stepped back and built a base on which to stand forthwith,
As I untangled Bredesen, without which I’d be blixed.By Christmas-time my head had cleared, more like the days of old;
A thrill it was, quick progress came, on “Wellness” I was sold;
Then came the Christmas season with unhealthful customs’ charm,
And swamp was back around my toes, with jangles of alarm!Dale Bredesen said, “Threshold”, with three dozen factors here –
You need enough of them to flip cell-signals – it is clear
That once that threshold-line is crossed, fast change is often seen;
But walk away from protocol, your back where you have been.It took six weeks to clear my head, and claw my way back up
That bank of shale to where I’d been, recovery was rough!
I then went back, checked out “12 steps” the alkies use each day
To deal with circumstance of life, reviewed the things they say.For lifestyle-factors are a part of any “Chronic” gig –
This is no “quick-fix”, “take a pill”, “return to how you lived;”
It means assessing who you are, and where you are today,
Then making changes requisite to open up a way –That we might have a life for real up on the solid ground
For time that’s left for each of us, with footing that is sound;
I thank those Angels for their word to buckle down and learn
About deep changes I would need, so road could take its turn.Thanks Lord for this.
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