"It requires more courage to suffer than to die." (Napoleon)

.....Last night I went to the 55th Reunion of the class of 1957 of North Shore H.S. in Glen Head, NY which was held in Atlantis here in Florida.  Of course, all of the former students who were in my class were in their late '60s or early '70s and it was kind of weird.  I was the honored guest and Rho and I were picked up and brought back by a couple of ex "students" who now live in Boynton Beach.  When I was invited to be their honored guest I was stunned and amazed that I had been remembered as their teacher after 55 years!  (I can't remember a single teacher from my high school.)  Naturally, I had to write a speech, and I was asked by Wally Kaufman (a brilliant student and the author of several books) to address the group by being "funny, wise, and profound," a challenging command.  I found it daunting to write something to a group whom I only could remember by reading their name tags...except that they weren't wearing their name tags.  But many of them introduced themselves, and I remembered some but not all by their names.  

.....We had a fine dinner; the choices were a chicken dish, mahi mahi, and prime rib.  Rho and I ordered the prime rib.  There was a cash bar before the meal and Rho ordered some wine and I a Pina Colada.  The waiter said, "Fifteen dollars." As I had the cash in my hand at my seat, one of the gals came up and said, "No, no you are not to pay  for anything."  I thought, well indeed, I'm an "honored" guest.  We had a salad before the main dish, and dessert and coffee or tea afterward.  I was given a sterling introduction most of which I didn't think I deserved.  But I got up anyway to the lectern and complained that there was no teleprompter.  The speech was very well received, and took about 12-15 minutes...too long to print here.  If anyone would care to read it, send me an e-mail at norrho1@comcast.net and I'll send it out in an attachment.  RH+, the Baroness and I really enjoyed the evening and the many compliments I received.  I must have been very good in the classroom to deserve this kind of attention.

.....Well, the good news is that I did not need to use my walker last night.  Especially under the circumstances.  I was able to walk with my cane to the car and when I was dropped off at the restaurant.  I've been in pain ever since I broke my hips and took a couple of bad falls, and also suffered severely with a sore on my foot which refused to heal because of the poor circulation in my legs.  Because of it I had to use the hyperbaric process for about seven weeks.  The first time I broke a hip I spent five weeks in rehabilitation in Whitehall; the second time about seven weeks.  We're still paying off for that one.  After each occasion I had therapists coming to the house a couple of times a week.  And I had an aid driving me to the wound care center each week so that Rhoda would not have to do it.  She had her own agenda. and the aid then helped both of us live our lives the way we needed to.  But during all this misery, I vowed to myself that I was strong enough to get through it as I survived a war.  I wanted to rid myself of the scooter and the walker as best I could and get back to simply use a cane, and I did it.  Of course, I can only use it now for short distances--but still I can use it.  It was my goal, and I've always been pretty good at reaching my goals.  I'm ready now for the next chapter whatever it may be.