Moving Forward

I’m at home now, after four nights in the hospital following neck surgery, ten nights in a rehab facility for, well, rehab, and more than a hundred notes and calls wishing me well.  I appreciate your support very much.

What struck me at the rehab facility was that everyone was there to help.  All too often in my business we spend a lot of time engaged in disputes — mostly about payment of rent – and from that perspective the rehab environment was a welcome change.

Meanwhile, I’ve lost a few pounds (the surgeon said that the healing of bones takes a lot of energy); I’ve had several visitors; signed my 2018 income tax returns; and enjoyed four days of watching Tiger win the Masters tournament at Augusta — his first major tournament victory in eleven years.

Patience, however, is not my strong suit, so waiting to recover enough to be back at my office or perform everyday tasks (such as driving) is not my favorite way to spend my days.  I did visit with Tim Green, editor of Rattle, to review the finalists and pick the three winners in our annual chapbook contest.  There are so many really fine poets out there, and our chapbook winners this year are outstanding. Even if you think you don’t like poetry (yet), you might consider subscribing to Rattle. We pride ourselves on making poetry accessible to everyone, and we include a winning chapbook with each issue.  You also might subscribe to our daily free poem.  Look us up at Rattle.com.

Unfortunately typing still makes my neck hurt, so I’m going to conclude with the thought that we’re all mortal, so let’s continue to help one another out as we move forward with our lives each day.  In helping others we help ourselves.

Many thanks.

Alan