"The Trial"

"It's often safer to be in chains than to be free."*

Last evening, I attended the final performance of a play that my son, Richard, has been involved with all week. He became involved at the last moment, about a week ago, when the Department Head asked if he would help. Actual work on the play began in December but Richard was already involved with "The Hound of the Baskervilles".

Richard is listed in the program as a member of the Production Staff: "Lightboard Operator." Rehearsals were last weekend; previews were early in the week (one cancelled by snow), and the show (formally) was Wednesday through Saturday.

Don't ask me what this play, "The Trial", was about. I knew it was based on the Franz Kafka book. Unfortunately, the program did not contain a summary and I never read the book nor did I prepare for the play by doing any research. The school calendar included a short description, pinched from the Wikipedia entry (see Link below): The Trial was written by Kafka in 1914 through 1915, but not published until 1925. One of his best-known works, it tells the story of a man arrested and prosecuted by a remote, inaccessible authority, with the nature of his crime revealed to neither him nor the reader.

The play lasted approximately two (2) hours and did not have an intermission. It seemed like a bad dream to me (I mean the "plot"; the production was interesting and the performances were generally passionate). Overall, the tone was somber and depressing (like many plays). At the conclusion, the audience politely clapped their appreciation for the performance. However, there were no cast and crew appreciations/thanks as is typical for a final show.

The play was "adapted" by a part-time member of the school's English department and directed by a long-time faculty member (who had a small acting role as the Priest).

There are several reasons why I am glad that I saw this play. I would not have gone except for my son's involvement. However, it was an opportunity to experience a culturally significant piece of literature. Writing this post helped me to learn something about Kafka and "The Trial" of which I previously knew almost nothing. Hopefully, it will inspire at least some of those involved and some of the audience to ponder about the meaning of the play and perhaps its connection to the political state of our society today.

* This unattributed quote was printed on the cover of the program. Apparently it is a from the book, somewhere in Chapter 8. However, the exact words will depend on the translation since the original was in German. I did not try to verify this. On the other hand, it brought to my mind, Eric Fromm's book, Escape from Freedom (one of my favorite books).

Links:
http://ricketwrite.blogspot.com/2013_12_23_archive.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trial
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Kafka
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_from_Freedom

Snow Storm

This Tuesday (January 21st) I was working in New York City. There was tension in the air because a big snow storm had been forecast to arrive during the day. It actually began mid-morning, earlier than expected. By mid-afternoon, people were leaving early because problems with the commute were being forecast, especially since the storm was forecast to worsen during the normal commute period and later into the evening. A foot of snow was predicted.

I shot the picture above using my work cell phone. Note the scaffolding around St. Patrick's Cathedral (in the background). The picture doesn't do much justice to the actual condition at the time: lots of blowing snow (notice the flags) and the grayness in the air. There isn't much snow on the ground at the time of the picture. When I left, a little after 4 p.m., there seemed to be a few inches of extremely slippery snow. The snow was actually like little balls of ice because the temperature was close to zero (F). Although the train ride was essentially uneventful, the drive from the train station to home was white-knuckled treacherous.

Written Sunday January 26, 2014.

Thank You for the Day!

This morning as I begin the day and feel overwhelmed by the tasks upon me and ahead of me, I draw some comfort and satisfaction of the blessings of yesterday. I just finished several days of reading part of the Book of Isaiah. When I read a psalm of thanksgiving, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction and gratitude for what I experienced yesterday.

I am thankful for time to read the Bible in the morning. I am thankful for the opportunity to wrestle with Isaiah. I am thankful for the resources I have to study these scriptures. I am thankful for the insights from the blog Vridar. It has been a source of magnificent perspectives that are unavailable through orthodox religion. Ironically, it has been a resource of hope and solace because of the new understandings I have gained.

I am thankful for a roof over my head, hot water for a shower, and time to read.

I am thankful for my barber and his ability to cut hair. I am thankful for the good haircut I received (even though it was not quite what I had in mind it seems to suite me). I am thankful for the experience of the barbershop, waiting my turn and watching others. I am thankful for the couple that brought their 16-month old toddler with them to the shop. What a joy to watch, not just the child, but how the parents interacted with her and themselves. So much wonder, exuberance, delight, quiet love. We need more children.

I am thankful for the time I spent with my son.

I am thankful for the local bank branch where I go every week. I am comfortable there. I am thankful that I have finances to enjoy.

I am thankful that I have a car and that it is still going after 223K miles.

I am thankful for the chance to share a meal with my son. We enjoyed burgers at a favorite Five Guys restaurant. (Richard had a Little Bacon Burger and I had a Little Cheese Burger with mushrooms).

I am thankful for the time to drive around exploring with my son. A chance to go where we had not been before, a different direction, a different perspective. A time to chat.

I am thankful that we stopped at the roller hockey rink and had a chance to watch a game (adult league). We ran into Richard's coach from ice hockey (years ago). He was there with his wife to watch his son (Richard's age) play. We watched the whole game with them and had a very pleasant conversation. I am thankful that they were so gracious and friendly to spend time with us. We also ran into a former acquaintance from our former residence. Jeff stills runs the Sports store there; he also plays deck hockey at the rink and it is a nice connection to run into him periodically. We also got Richard signed up on a wait list for the adult league. Perhaps he will get a chance again to play.

I am thankful that Richard was asked to be part of the play at his school. He originally wasn't going to be involved with this one but the department head asked him at the last minute and his schedule can accommodate it now. I am thankful that Richard is growing in his knowledge and experience in a field that interests him. I am thankful that he has the opportunity to be in college.

I am thankful that I had the opportunity to pick up Richard at the end of rehearsal and drive him home. I am thankful that our local Chinese takeout restaurant, Black Bamboo, was open late enough so we could get Richard something to eat. I am thankful that we know the young man who it the owner, Sonny, and that he is a decent and friendly person. It is a gift to have this restaurant available to us.

I got some things done yesterday; not enough-there doesn't ever seem to be enough time. Yesterday I had time to take a breath and experience God's graces. Thank you.

Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Isaiah
http://vridar.org/
http://www.fiveguys.com/
http://myblackbamboo.com/site/Home.html

Colonoscopy Day

Three years ago, I reported to you about my colonoscopy procedure and the associated preparation.  Because several pre-cancerous polyps were found, they recommended I have a follow-up colonoscopy in three years.

So today was the day. In short, no polyps were found. So I'm good for five (5) years before another procedure is due.

I went to the same facility as the previous time and used the same doctor. Dr. Levine has done all my colonoscopies. After I moved in 2012, I considered finding a doctor closer to my new place. Since I didn't like what I found, I decided to stay with Dr. Levine since he is within an hour's drive (or so).

This time, a long-time acquaintance, Gary, drove me. He lives around the block from me and is between jobs/semi-retired. We worked together in Clevo, Hartford, and he was working in NYC around the same time I did. He's been a loyal friend over the years-helped me move a couple times (Lakewood, Bloomfield) and attended my wedding. A good guy and a blessing.  The drive gave us a chance to catch up.

Preparation kit.

While the procedure this time was virtually identical to the previous one (same room), the preparation was slightly different. Yesterday afternoon I had to mix one 6 oz. bottle of prep solution with 10 oz. of water (i.e., 16 oz. total) and drink that plus two more 16 oz. cups of water. Was supposed to do that in an hour but I couldn't take so much fluid-took me about two hours. After that, watch out!

This morning, I got up at 2:20 a.m. to do a second dose of the same regimen. This time I was able to do it within the hour by staying in the kitchen and taking sips in between saying the rosary. Funny how that works.

Did I also mention that I had to totally fast the day before (i.e., Tuesday). This meant no solid food of any kind and only clear liquids. I had a can of plain chicken broth.


When I got home, I was feeling drained (haha). When I sat down, I quickly dozed off.  Because of the sedation given during the procedure, it is recommended not to drive that day.

After not eating for over a day, I was ready for a nice lunch. Had a big burger and sweet potato fries from Max Burger. Now I am wrestling with organizing the paperwork and filing. Can't wait to get the bill(s). It could be over $1,000.

Did I mention how cold the weather was today? The high temperature was 22F; this morning it was 16F.

Links:
http://ricketwrite.blogspot.com/2010/12/colonoscopy-procedure.html
http://ricketwrite.blogspot.com/2010/12/colonoscopy.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonoscopy

A new day, a new year.

This is the view from my living room window as I start a new day and a new year (2014). I hope that the blue sky means good things ahead.

Posted Sunday 01/19/2014