Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 19:34:32 -0400
Reply-To: Sam Conant <samcvt@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Sam Conant <samcvt@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: What i see through my lens....
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Garcia Miguel,
Several years ago, during my six month "mid-life walk-about" with my 84
Westy, I decided to leave the U.S. and head for Panama (first). Except for
one scary night when I pulled several hundred yards off the road into the
scrub, the trip was truly easy and fantastically pleasant. My scrub event
was on my second night south of the U.S. border. Something awakened me in
the early AM ... and, it became apparent that the noises circling my "wagon"
were not made by scurrying animals ... Something about human voices alerted
me, I guess.
Quietly, I reached down, pulled out the 9mm pistol I had picked up just
south of my crossing ... took off the safety, and let a stream go into the
tops of the cacti in which I was spending the night. While I wasn't able to
interpret the language, I was quickly aware that my "signal" has alarmed and
suggested strongly that my Westy (with Vermont plates) might not be the best
pirate stop on the trail. The rest of the trip south was fine, as was my
month later trek north and across the Canadian border and on to the North
Slope of Alaska.
One result of my mid-life walk-about a few years ago has been the
realization that more of us folks in the Western, Anglicized world ought to
think about spending quality time, out and about, contemplating our
respective navels checking out just who and how we want to be when we grow
up the next time.
Several years ago, and a few months after my "walk-about," I decided to
demonstrate that a mental health professional can actually and really
retire. So, I became a full time Disaster Mental Health volunteer with the
American Red Cross. At the same time, I accepted a position as President of
the board of a local cable TV station where I had been hosting and producing
a weekly community affairs program. After several years of demonstrating
that it is truly possible to "fail competently at retirement," I resigned
both volunteer positions to assumed overall practice management
responsibilities for my wife's primary care, private medical practice.
After three years and at my recommendation, we closed the solo practice in
April, 2006 and my wife accepted a beneficial officer from a practice owner
in Waterville, Maine. In February 2007, my wife and I returned to live in
Vermont from Maine where she had accepted a private practice position
replacing two physicians who had decided to return to California. In
November, we embarked on still one more journey when my wife underwent major
surgery to remove a couple of GYN tumors which are never, ever found to be
cancerous. My wife's were - and matasisis had set in. After a second
surgery and consultation with the Dana Farber Cancer Center in Boston,
following their recommendations, my wife began a full regimen of radiation
treatments in Maine. When that schedule was completed, we decided to
return to our Vermont home and engage in chemo-therapy here, near our home.
She will complete that schedule next Tuesday.
S0 now, while we have had the radiation and chemo schedule to confirm that
Lynn and been doing everything possible to deal with her diagnosis ... Next
week marks the end of knowing that she is doing whatever is possible to
fight her sarcoma. So; from next Tuesday on ... until her as yet
unscheduled follow up CT-Scan is completed (probably in late August) Lynn
will have to sit back and wait for the results that CT-Scan .. to know just
how much hope we can allow ourselves to have and hold on to.
So, those of you who pray and those of you who share concerns and thoughts
for Lynn, please keep those prayers and thoughts happening. We appreciate
and need them.
Finally, I recognize that I have mixed subjects up with this one .... Please
cut me some slack .... This time?
Sam Conant
Colchester, Vermont
----- Original Message -----
From: "Miguel Pacheco" <escorpion1955@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 1:18 AM
Subject: Re: What i see through my lens....
> Benny Boy, actually, the more you look like Che, the better off you are
> in 'mi querido Mexico.' A buzz cut is classic gringo. Entering with long
> hair and a Kombi (they call them all Kombi down there)is to your benefit.A
> Che sticker on your Vanagon is a great idea too! Now, re-entering the USA
> will be the exact opposite of course. So wait until your return trip to
> buzz your hair, shave off all those stinkin liberal bumper stickers from
> your vehicle and paste a big ol NRA sticker on your rear glass.
> Buena Suerte!! Miguel
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