at work
Dear All –
Greg has now begun his return to his workplace!
He got the all-clear from the ESRF doctor yesterday, and he will now start spending days or hours in Grenoble, as he is able, and when not up to it, will continue work from home. He is so very…relieved, as much as anything…to be back. The battles of health will continue – who knows how long – but he has a bit of desired work routine back now, which will definitely speed the waiting. It will hold new frustrations: figuring out how to hear people in noisy cafeterias, helping others to learn which side to walk on when talking to him, etc. But all these things can and will be learned. As his physio/kiné keeps saying, the more Greg puts himself into challenging situations, the faster he will learn to surmount them.
Greg’s friend Paul and I both had the privilege of not only meeting Greg’s kiné/physio last week, but also seeing him in action. It was really quite amazing watching Greg adjust to the different chair spinning effects, and also to watch the responding pulsating of his eye in the camera. And, it was great to hear from the physio what Greg has not repeated: the physio said to me that I really have quite an amazing husband (!), and that his progress in the vertigo department has been really excellent. Greg has the tendency to ‘pooh-pooh’ at times the effort it’s taken to regain his ability to walk and move almost normally again. The physio belied that in his accolade. Greg, as a few of us have suspected, has progressed a lot faster than is normal.
My big brother is not the only one a little surprised by how un-invalid-like Greg is. Some long-time friends from early Oxford days were out. They’ve seen Greg through quite a bit, including bicycle accidents and kite-related ambulance rides, long before we were even married!! (They saw him through the wedding too, prepping him for, and accompanying him through, the day.) I guess they were sort of surprised, and not surprised too. As they helped out around the house, entertained Greg, laughed, ate, and rested with us, they just shook their heads at his ‘no-stopping-ness.’ Twice I was told, “I’m not sure it’s possible to slow him down, Kirstin!”
Maybe going back to work is the most restful thing Greg can do!
It’s been good to have the TLC, in its varying forms, around. Because, as expected, this is the tough phase now: the not-knowing-ness of whether how Greg is now will be how he always is. Trying to figure out whether just to assume it is, and then how to deal with that…or to hold oneself is a state of suspended waiting…a waiting that may prove more disappointing than not. This is hard, and makes for down times amidst the ups of life and love.
It’s also good to have the normalacy of being back at work. For both of us.
It’ll take me a lot longer to get into the swing of things, but I’m starting, slowly. Ever reminded when I do set in just how much I love my work. How blessed we both are in this. Some of you have asked if you can read any of the MacDonald stuff I’ve published. The easiest to access is here: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/2005/002/7.35.html
This page has two articles on it that I wrote for a North American magazine. For those of you not of a Christian persuasion, you will have to take into account that it is written for a Christian journal – but after all, I am a student of Theology as well as Literature, so that’s part and parcel of the bizarre package that makes up me! (By the way, the entire issue is really excellent, and probably the best thing out there as far as introductions to George MacDonald go – I’d send one to everyone I knew if I could afford to! It is an issue marking 100 years since MacDonald's death, and as he is the subject of the whole issue, my articles don't 'introduce' him...they just 'plunge in'!) If you are more interested in how MacDonald influenced Tolkien and CS Lewis (as well as the general concept of my thesis), or find you need to be convinced that the Book of Isaiah or concepts of how one reads the Bible has anything to do with the children’s story “The Princess and Curdie,” let me know, and I’ll send you a doc of the relevant articles…as they are ‘possibly in publication phase,’ they’re not supposed to be out there for general access. (The first of these is the lecture I gave at Regent.) Same goes if you want to read anything about “Lilith” or Charles Williams’ “Descent into Hell,’ or what some of these guys thought about how important relationship is to our being human (hmmm…slightly familiar theme?! ;) ) There’s also a paper currently being published as a chapter in a book on Tolkien, explaining his concept of “Mythopoesis,” and why it is so important to him and Lewis. The concept is one that has been dealt with little in Lit or Theology (or least hadn’t been when I first started working on my thesis!!), and so it has a lot to do with what I’m doing in my work on MacDonald as well.
So there you go – I’m not gonna burden all and sundry with my stuff, so if any of the above strikes your fancy, feel free to pursue or request!
And now one of the daily challenges of my work raises its ugly head – my hands can’t type any longer…so the meandering blog comes to an end. Hopefully sending out some of our love to the many of you who keep sending yours to us.
More anon,
Love,
K
(if any of you want to see some photos, join me in hassling Greg to post a few! ;) )
Greg has now begun his return to his workplace!
He got the all-clear from the ESRF doctor yesterday, and he will now start spending days or hours in Grenoble, as he is able, and when not up to it, will continue work from home. He is so very…relieved, as much as anything…to be back. The battles of health will continue – who knows how long – but he has a bit of desired work routine back now, which will definitely speed the waiting. It will hold new frustrations: figuring out how to hear people in noisy cafeterias, helping others to learn which side to walk on when talking to him, etc. But all these things can and will be learned. As his physio/kiné keeps saying, the more Greg puts himself into challenging situations, the faster he will learn to surmount them.
Greg’s friend Paul and I both had the privilege of not only meeting Greg’s kiné/physio last week, but also seeing him in action. It was really quite amazing watching Greg adjust to the different chair spinning effects, and also to watch the responding pulsating of his eye in the camera. And, it was great to hear from the physio what Greg has not repeated: the physio said to me that I really have quite an amazing husband (!), and that his progress in the vertigo department has been really excellent. Greg has the tendency to ‘pooh-pooh’ at times the effort it’s taken to regain his ability to walk and move almost normally again. The physio belied that in his accolade. Greg, as a few of us have suspected, has progressed a lot faster than is normal.
My big brother is not the only one a little surprised by how un-invalid-like Greg is. Some long-time friends from early Oxford days were out. They’ve seen Greg through quite a bit, including bicycle accidents and kite-related ambulance rides, long before we were even married!! (They saw him through the wedding too, prepping him for, and accompanying him through, the day.) I guess they were sort of surprised, and not surprised too. As they helped out around the house, entertained Greg, laughed, ate, and rested with us, they just shook their heads at his ‘no-stopping-ness.’ Twice I was told, “I’m not sure it’s possible to slow him down, Kirstin!”
Maybe going back to work is the most restful thing Greg can do!
It’s been good to have the TLC, in its varying forms, around. Because, as expected, this is the tough phase now: the not-knowing-ness of whether how Greg is now will be how he always is. Trying to figure out whether just to assume it is, and then how to deal with that…or to hold oneself is a state of suspended waiting…a waiting that may prove more disappointing than not. This is hard, and makes for down times amidst the ups of life and love.
It’s also good to have the normalacy of being back at work. For both of us.
It’ll take me a lot longer to get into the swing of things, but I’m starting, slowly. Ever reminded when I do set in just how much I love my work. How blessed we both are in this. Some of you have asked if you can read any of the MacDonald stuff I’ve published. The easiest to access is here: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/2005/002/7.35.html
This page has two articles on it that I wrote for a North American magazine. For those of you not of a Christian persuasion, you will have to take into account that it is written for a Christian journal – but after all, I am a student of Theology as well as Literature, so that’s part and parcel of the bizarre package that makes up me! (By the way, the entire issue is really excellent, and probably the best thing out there as far as introductions to George MacDonald go – I’d send one to everyone I knew if I could afford to! It is an issue marking 100 years since MacDonald's death, and as he is the subject of the whole issue, my articles don't 'introduce' him...they just 'plunge in'!) If you are more interested in how MacDonald influenced Tolkien and CS Lewis (as well as the general concept of my thesis), or find you need to be convinced that the Book of Isaiah or concepts of how one reads the Bible has anything to do with the children’s story “The Princess and Curdie,” let me know, and I’ll send you a doc of the relevant articles…as they are ‘possibly in publication phase,’ they’re not supposed to be out there for general access. (The first of these is the lecture I gave at Regent.) Same goes if you want to read anything about “Lilith” or Charles Williams’ “Descent into Hell,’ or what some of these guys thought about how important relationship is to our being human (hmmm…slightly familiar theme?! ;) ) There’s also a paper currently being published as a chapter in a book on Tolkien, explaining his concept of “Mythopoesis,” and why it is so important to him and Lewis. The concept is one that has been dealt with little in Lit or Theology (or least hadn’t been when I first started working on my thesis!!), and so it has a lot to do with what I’m doing in my work on MacDonald as well.
So there you go – I’m not gonna burden all and sundry with my stuff, so if any of the above strikes your fancy, feel free to pursue or request!
And now one of the daily challenges of my work raises its ugly head – my hands can’t type any longer…so the meandering blog comes to an end. Hopefully sending out some of our love to the many of you who keep sending yours to us.
More anon,
Love,
K
(if any of you want to see some photos, join me in hassling Greg to post a few! ;) )
posted by Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson at 5:50 pm
4 Comments:
Thanks, Kirstin, for the links to your work on MacDonald. Look forward to reading them.
Hi Kirstin,
Glad to see your publishing progressing--I'm especially glad to note your Tolkien stuff. I'd be interested in reading it someday...
Ken
Sounds exciting -- wish I'd known when I was at Pré Borel and could have asked for a reprint. But perhaps there was enough stimulation just carrying out the tasks that Greg had lined up.
Frank.
Kirstin and Greg,
It is so good to get an update. Thanks for visiting Sky's blog and for your message, Kirstin! I am sure it is wild to realize that your baby cousin has a baby! We hope to visit you some day in France! Greg sounds like he is making such great strides. I am impressed and not surprised. We miss you both and send our love,
Erika and Peter
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