Making Ripples: post-corporate adventures in Floyd County Virginia

Simple pleasures...

As I work my way through this latest life transition, I am appreciative of the simple pleasures that life offers.

Having friends pitch in and help with vital chores that I am unable to handle right now. Morning coffee with Gretchen, working with talented artists to solve problems, meeting friends at the Cafe del Sol...the list goes on.

The common thread is that these are all ways in which we interact in Floyd and the interactions give me both pleasure and encouragement.

There are so many points of contact for us in this small county that every week is a renewal of life and a reaffirmation of our mutual respect and concerns.

Almost everyone I know has goals that differ from mine and they are on a different point in the arc of life, but somehow our co-location in this remote community of artists, business owners and free-thinkers enables us to develop a sense of affinity that transcends our differences.

Many of us work alone most of the time, so moments where we can meet and exchange news are life giving, especially when the exchanges are constructive and amicable.

There are several places with free WiFi where students and business people can touch down for Internet access while stoking up on food and catching up on local doings. The local Library, coffee shops, and restaurants provide convenient gathering points where even the busiest citizens can find a minute for greetings and a quick sharing of news and business opportunities.

The tiny downtown Floyd area encourages foot traffic and in warmer weather we will always see clusters of conversations between locals and visitors. In this winter weather, the bundled up pedestrians make do with a wave and short greetings left drifting like smoke signals in the frosty air.

However it has come about, there is a sense of community here that seems to encourage a continuing sense of quiet optimism that we have the resolve to weather whatever comes our way.

Now that I am back on my feet and feeling creative again, I want to help others as they have been helping me. That is one of the greatest pleasures imaginable, being able to help again.

An unexpected fork in the road

A fork in the road is a metaphor for a deciding moment or a turning point in life or history when a major choice of options is required.

My recent heart attack makes it advisable for me to make some changes in the volume and the direction of the projects that I pursue from this point on.

I can no longer follow Yogi Berra's advice, "When you come to a fork in the road. Take it." That requires an expansion of effort and a broadening of attention. My future plans are to focus on the things I can get done.

I plan to continue the framing business as long as possible because it is one of my favorite creative outlets and gives me an opportunity to do collaborative design work with talented artists and art lovers.

Because of the state of the economy, the business model will incorporate a greater percentage of do-it-yourself framing and I expect to see increasing exchanges of services and food for custom frames and mirrors.

We are seeing a huge increase in trading services locally and I expect that it will last for the next several years, especially for "luxuries" like art and books and other items that brighten our lives.

To keep things simple, I am finding new homes for some fairly new woodworking equipment, tools, artwork and supplies that I am no longer using. I am offering them to neighbors, local artisans and other small business owners in exchange for services and for help with things I can no longer do.

This has been going on for weeks now and has been beneficial to all concerned.

Stay  tuned...

Do not wait for Angina to serve as your wake-up call

Thanks for all of your good wishes. I feel fortunate in having so many caring friends and in landing in the Coronary Care Unit at Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

This hospital offers everything I need. In my opinion, it is the best place to be while the competent and caring staff figures out what is going on with my heart.

For the detail-minded, they have installed three stents and are planning to install more on Thursday. This is a wake-up call to adopt a different diet, exercise program and to learn evey one of the symptoms of coronary disease and its prevention.

I am extremely fortunate that I escaped with as little damage as I did. By not recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack, I continued on my usual way and and probably caused more damage over the next few days.

A close friend of mine pointed out that I may not be in the clear even with stents installed and following an exercise program. He returned several times after his initial attack and accumulated more internal hardware and bypass surgery as well. I am  heeding his advice.

I intend to stay alert and will do everything possible to stay on top of this situation. I have lots of projects to do and have many close friends to share life with.

What you don't know about your health may kill you

During the past few days, I learned that I was missing vital information concerning the care and maintenance of my body. As a result, I am blogging from the Cardiac Care Unit of the Roanoke Memorial Hospital instead of working at home.

I now know that shortness of breath and a feeling of great pressure in my upper chest and neck area was a sign that I was experiencing a heart attack early this week.

I did not have a clue at the time and I continued working at my regular pace for the next few days. When the pain returned, I realized that I had a problem. I Googled "chest pain" and learned that "Angina Pectoris" is the body's way of telling you that the heart muscle is not getting enough oxygen.

When I went to my family physician, she routed me immediately to ER at Radford Hospital. After a short round of tests, they sent me on to a Roanoke Hospital which is equipped to perform heart operations.

Since my condition was stable by then, they put me in the Cardiac Care unit for testing and observation. In the last two days I have learned how close to the edge I have been living, even though I have always been careful to eat natural foods and what I thought was a balanced diet.

I had been monitoring my health by my physical strength and the general lack of aches and pains. I am now aware that this approach can be a trap. I had shoveled 5 tons of gravel with no discomfort just days before my first heart attack, so I had no physical warning of the impending disaster.

Tomorrow I am scheduled to discover what blockage exists and to hopefully find a resolution of the problem.

I have already resolved to develop a healthier lifestyle. It is my big New Year's resolution for 2009.

If you are experiencing any chest pains, you might want to make sure they are not serious. They can be permanently damaging.