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Sunday, October 10, 2010

Suffering for Something

There's no chat like church chat (exceeded in complexity and cast of characters possibly only by church choir chat), so I almost enjoyed giving blood yesterday--my second time--at the Woman's Club because a dear church friend, CA, sat and discussed the latest installments of Archbishop and Co. with me.

I'd thought my near-fainting when I donated blood the first time was merely psychological, and therefore a fun chat would distract me, and I'd be fine.
Sure enough, I was fine for the hour I spent lying down, chatting and eating the Lorna Doones CA brought me.

So I got up and toured the cool old building, but by the time I'd gotten to their library on the second floor, a wave of yuckiness swept over me. I had to sit down.
CA left to get the car, and when she came back I was lying on the floor. (Nice rug!)

She drove me home and I slept for a couple hours, then read by the open window until bedtime.
 [Zadie Smith, On Beauty; The Summer Book, by Tove Jansson; Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times (2002), edited by Neil Astley]

I know people who donate blood on their lunch hour and then go back to their active jobs.
I guess that's not going to be me.
CA and I agreed, though, that with all the senseless suffering in life, it makes a nice change to suffer for something.

Wishing you all good health!

4 comments:

  1. I'm glad you were not alone, and had time to rest. I should find out if my medications preclude my donating blood, as I have always assumed. Maybe not!

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  2. They have a long list, as you know... surely available online. Lots of unexpected things, like drugs for hair growth!

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  3. Thanks again from this onetime blood recipient. People who donate blood are indeed angels of mercy.

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  4. What a great thought ... suffering for something rather than of something. Or through something, unable to help in any way. You are an angel, cara mia.

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