About this series: I revisited my journals from my early years as a freelance writer and found they told a story of their own. In this series I get the rare opportunity to give myself and other writers career advice with nearly 50 years of hindsight. Enjoy!
The last post was long, so I didn’t include the part that said “The rest of the day was long and grueling, but I got all my writing and editing out of the way — by midnight! This is good, because it leaves me free for my CPR course tomorrow. I hope I will learn, and the truth will set me free.”
Learn what? Free from what? Remember that pain in the a*** more than a month earlier? It was back and nagging for my attention.
I must be a hypochondriac. That’s the only logical explanation. I awoke feeling fine, then developed my minor arm ache again as my up-and-around-ness progressed. I suspect that’s my only real problem; a pulled muscle from moving rocks and carrying my briefcase.
Then I get to the CPR course, where I hear descriptions of heart attack signs: pain, either slight or severe, can come and go, can spread from chest to left underarm, and can appear from neck to groin. Usually the victim refuses to acknowledge what’s happening. And in over 50% of the cases, people with these symptoms are dead in over 2 hours.
I began to feel warm, to sweat, and to exhibit all those symptoms — right down to the left groin. But there’s hope. I don’t have any of the 3 major causes (smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol) or too many of the others except lack of exercise and male gender. So in theory, I should be all right, although if my troubles persist I’ll visit MHMHC on Tuesday or so.
The course was interesting, and I learned some mouth-to-mouth and choking techniques. I got certified on both those, at least … and I was volunteered to be first participant, and didn’t even feel too self-conscious. I think I’m outgrowing those feelings. I hope. Anyway, we learned some basic CPR, which will be reviewed and expanded on next week.
I got home, and I felt a lot better after lying down to rest for a while. I hope that tomorrow won’t prove too much of a strain. That could be rough.
Tonight, while resting and building good, healthy feelings with good music and humor, I indulged in some writing and reading. I even exercised — a little — by pumping my bike tires. I probably ought to start exercising moderately and more regularly.
The writing was the first half or so of “A Cat Looks at a King,” which looks like it has potential, at least in the Tau Tales from Doberman University volume. Maybe I’ll have enough to publish by this winter …
Journal, Volume III
6 January 1979*
Get real, Howard! Pumping up your bike tires does not qualify as a cardio workout. And 40-plus years later, you still haven’t started a regular workout program.
But starting yet another short story — and setting it within a previously unmentioned collection from the still-yet-to-be-published Doberman University universe — was ambitious. So was the thought that you might be ready to publish the collection by “this winter,” which had maybe 90 days remaining.
* Yes, it’s still 1979. I know.
