Genius within ordinary people remains commonly vacant; ignored.
Each of us has a story to tell.
Our lives inherently are fascinating to others; yet never to ourselves. At the time of death, think spouse, siblings, relatives near and far. Or in some cases of great accomplishments to many thousands if not millions.
It is a normal practice of hospice care to solicit from their, soon to depart life, patients; leaving behind lives, joys and accomplishments, of a lifetime. Stories for posterity. Considerably greater than what Andy Warhol famously defined as "In the future everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."
As a medium of communication books, being the best storage, remain independent of censure or avarice; and less subject to decay. For example Grandmother's favorite dish, the one she refused to give away to anyone, sister or daughter -- anyone-period. Or Granddad's memories of friends wounded, killed or disappeared in war; or metals he though he was undeserving of . . . his many Purple Hearts and final rank upon discharge. When & Where? For how long and why these secrets kept?
There are some care givers more experienced than others but all have, eventually, the trust of those we serve -- all serve equally. And for me and others their departure through death is as though the passing of a family member. And we like their biological family grieve; differently perhaps given our considerable experience but we grieve nonetheless. . . .It hurts us too. The best remembered ask why? We serve. And of those few there are too many to remember by name or what they felt at the time of death . . . yet . . . I think they will remember us in Heaven. And pray for us as we them; those whose names are forgotten but remembered best for loving us with their trust.
Narrator am I filled with stories gleaned from countless interviews; from two vocations: photojournalist and hospice volunteer. The latter being a fitting way to pay back God's gifts to me in my old age.
Practicing my first vocation was easy since unaccountably I am able to listen and respond accurately to what is asked of me. In some sense what my audience, hostile/benign, King-Queen-President-Peasant wants. By reputation alone I was assigned to capture hopeless subjects after, sometimes, others: one or more and in one extraordinary case nine other photojournalist had failed.
Innocent as a dove yet cunning like a used car salesman; always closing the sale. Usually referred to as ABC = Always Be Closing. However my objective was not a sale but fulfilling my assignment; doing so to support my family and extraordinary medical expenses. . . .I lost both biological children and was abandoned by my adopted biracial daughter . . . mostly attributable to a disproportionate amount of attention to her dying brother. . . a very vulnerable age to be abandoned and neglected.
Kindness is it's own reward. Regardless of what you might think of me as a photojournalist I never, with malice aforethought or intent, hurt anyone. Always refused to photograph anyone who asked that I not.
Story Ending:
I practice what I 'preach' and 'teach' nothing to those who refuse to listen; leaving them in peace. If unable to smile or otherwise be disingenuous I leave silently. God frequently speaks through others; their words and behaviors; not always sweet and loving but at times adversarial. Accepting their last word as final, a declaration of their independence of what I can offer.
After three years of unstinting labor for which I've received only the gratitude of those served; I've been asked to leave. Oddly the request is based upon, an as yet unproven -- licit or illicit demand that everything I communicated through photography is the property of hospice. Sensing this had become an obstacle between my immediate supervisor and my future there as a photographer I resigned that aspect concluding with the offered to completely resign using my sense that I was a problem to her. Last I heard was another demand for hospices' property and acceptance of my willingness to no longer be her problem.
As previously stated, here and in other posts, my central goal is to alert you to the reality and help of God's love for us all -- Ask & Receive. If you have no problem; ignore me. Yet at some future time, in difficulty, you might remember not me, but God; and ask then.
Be Well . . . love does not always mean marriage, or made in heaven, but often -- even in divorce -- the love continues to infinity in gratitude for what was.
120915 09:30 geniuses everyone
© 2012 by Jack Spratt - All Rights Reserved
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