Anglican Thoughts

I broke my right wrist. Got up in the middle of the night, stumbled, fell and snap. I was staying at the cabin, a shack two and a half miles up a one lane dirt road in the mountains of North Carolina . Thus began my sage on the left!  I drove myself down the dirt road and then another eight miles to the emergency room. I arrived at 2:am. Another person was admitted at the same time with the same problem. He was three sheets to the wind, abusive and loud.  The medical staff arrived at my room sh.ell shocked from their encounter with the drunken young man, confessing that they were bidding to treat me  rather than the unfortunate young man who partied too thoroughly.

A temporary cast was fixed in place and I was told to get to my orthopedist swiftly. He was twelve hours away and I was booked to preach locally the following Sunday before driving home. So with the help Of pain pills I stayed in the mountains over the weekend and preached. Goodness knows what I said.

With me on my vacation were the three dogs and my ancient cat Hemmingway.  The simplest things like feeding myself, cooking, and preparing the cabin for leaving took ages. Fr. Paul, one of my son Mark’s friend came up to help me pack as did a couple of Mark’s former parishioners.

The journey h.ome, driving with. my left hand for twelve hours with the animals was hell. Trucks seemed more dangerous: why did the US let its railways go to hell? I was utterly exhausted for days.

My doctor put a hard cast in place and thought the wrist would heal. A week or so ago he changed his mind. So he operated, inserted a plate and pins, and made my use of my right fingers less available. If all looks well next Wednesday I’ll have another hard cast in place. Parishioners have been bringing in food, and Fr. Frank, my “rival” APA priest has watered my plants, fed the zoo and been so kind and helpful. I will celebrate th.is Sunday and have been doing as much as I can in the parish. I find myself getting exasperated. Everything is a struggle and takes so long to accomplish. At least I shall have more sympathy with the disabled!  Did you know that scissors dont work with the left hand?

This blog, typed largely with my left fingers is taking an age to write. All of which is to explain why I haven’t blogged much lately. I did manage to write two articles for The Living Church and write a blog asking traditionalists to be less  strident in worrying about the wretched Standing Committee of the ACC.  Didn’t earn me any browny points!  I am praying that I will be more agile once i get a wrist cast.  My younger son Philip says he is going to wrap me in bubble wrap.

I’m told I have osteoporosis!  With a rod and pin in my left hip and now a plate and pins in my right wrist I am swiftly becoming the bionic priest.  I th.ink I shall put ASP after my name: all spare parts.

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