SUDDEN DEATH

In the beginning, the elohim created skies and earth.

Welcome back. Let's think about cardiac arrests.

I woke up at 2:30 this morning with my jaw hurting severely again. It’s nearly 5:00 A.M. now, and I can’t sleep even though I took an Ibuprofen and some hydrocodone. I took the latter after half an hour when it became apparent the former was not going to do the trick.

The hydrocodone is doing a different trick. It is keeping me awake all night.

Sometimes, we just have to endure misery. There’s nothing we can do about it. 

I prayed.  Of course, I prayed.  "Oh Jesus Lord have mercy this hurts!  Help me!"

I prayed, just like any sane person would, but the pain persists.

I would have been happy if the pain departed. I would have attributed it to God in some complicated, arcane way…gladly. 

However, I know from experience that God does not truck with breaking natural law. God created natural law. Unlike politicians, God would never break it.

So, I think I’ll do what I normally do. I’ll go to the gym. I’ll post this to my blog. I’ll eat breakfast and drink coffee. I just won’t be jolly old Saint Bill since it hurts like heck to smile and to not smile.

My wife believes my jaw pain may be a cardiac symptom. Tim Russert died suddenly of a cardiac arrest. She is fearful that may be my fate.

Wow. If I dropped dead, what a bummer that would be for some people. It would be a bummer for my wife. She has worked so hard to help me get my classroom ready. She has been so happy about my new job. She loves me very much, but I would be gone. I would not want to be her.

It would be a bummer for my Aunt Nay too. She would worry about my wife. She loves me too so I know it would hurt. I would not want to be her.

It would be a bummer for my best friend, John. It would make him feel older. Also, he would have one less buddy to sit up with all night, drinking bourbon, and figuring out at long last what the word “God” means and why Jesus did what he did. I would not want to be him either.

It would be a bummer for my siblings. They would feel some guilt for not knowing me, or for not trying to know me a little more. I know. I will feel the same when either of them die. I would hate to be them.

It would be a bummer for my step daughters. They, like Aunt Nay, would worry about their mother. Both of them are so busy right now. This is an important time in their emerging careers. A death in the family is the last thing they need. I would not want to be them.

Finally, I would not want to be me. What a drag. I have so much to do and accomplish still. I love my wife very much too. I need a lifetime to start knowing her as much as I want. I will need a few more to complete the examination. It wouldn't be fair if that ended suddenly right now. 

I am happy to report that I am not having a cardiac event. It’s simply a wild tooth gone bad. I know that for certain now. I shook the darn thing. It felt loose, and it hollered at me. It’s still grumbling like a kid sitting out of recess.

So here I am. I can’t sleep. I have a busy day ahead of me today. It’s a new job and all that goes with that.

At least, I’m seeing the dentist this morning. I have to jump through that hoop before I go to the one who deadens the nerve and seeks to save the tooth.

Hmmm…  There’s got to be a metaphor about salvation in that.

Blessings…