KARMA BITES

While I was in Mexico, I had wifi access at my hotels, so I was able to keep up a semblance of blog reading in between cavorting around to various beaches and ruins. I noticed a similar theme running through many blogs.

February. Flu. Colds. Viruses. Sinus infections. Deep tearing bronchial coughs. Excretions from both ends. I won’t go on.

I thought I was properly sympathetic, but there was a small voice inside me gloating that I was escaping to sunshine and warmth while the rest of the world was dealing with February. (Not that no one ever gets the flu in San Diego or Fort Lauderdale or Scottsdale, but when you live in a winter climate like Michigan, it’s easy to blame all ills on the weather, and to think that warm sunshine would cure everything.)

But all the while, the karmic forces were conspiring to bring me to my knees. Did I acquire my cough, my fever, my aches, on the plane on the way back from Mexico? Don’t you just hate it when someone coughs a lot on a plane? Did I acquire the germs from my tripmate, Emily, who co-incidentally has been coughing up a storm herself. (Or did she get them from me?) Was it someone at Threadbear on Wednesday, or while doing taxes for AARP on Thursday, or working at Rae’s on Friday? Was it my niece, who came to my grand-nephew’s bar mitzvah on Saturday even though she was not fully recovered from the flu herself, and caused my mother to visit the emergency room on Sunday with a nasty bronchitis, and me to start hacking away on Monday?

And it hardly matters, because we’re people. We’re sociable. We gather together summer or winter, and we spread germs. Oh boy, do we ever spread germs.

I am better today, at least for this afternoon hiatus until my fever spikes again. There is nothing like a bout of the flu to reduce all of life’s complexities to just a few simple survival techniques.

Drink. Pee. Sleep.

Yesterday I couldn’t even read. I am still not even thinking about manipulating knitting needles. Although you’d think that if I could sit up and type this post, I could sit up and knit as well.

On the other hand, I can’t do this for very long. I’ve just prepared a late lunch, and I think I’ve used up the little oomph I had. I’m going to crawl back under my Malabrigo afghan (my blankie!!) and contemplate nothing much.

Comments

[LynnH]

OK... if you have only 3 things on your list and one isn't tossing cookies, you will recover before long. Isn't this the drag, though? The drag.

For the record, my mom got something in Florida where it's beautiful weather. Happens everywhere, and yes we are social beings.

Get well. Be selfish with what you need to get well and don't do anything else.

Lynnie, who is glad to be able to climb stairs today after getting sick Feb 4.

[Julia]

So sorry you're under the weather - I wish I had advice to offer, but both times I was in Mexico, I was the only one on the trip that didn't get sick - I have some sort of cast iron constitution. Just take care of yourself and next time, don't get anywhere near the tap water down there - honest, brush teeth with bottled water - I think that's where most people go wrong.

[Pat K]

Hope you feel better soon!

[Vera]

Get well soon. So far, I've had a bit of the ick, but haven't gotten really sick, so I won't play with karma.

[Karen]

Oh yuk. I do hope you feel better soon!

[Jessica]

Eep! Feel better soon! It does seem to be going around.