On Therapy

There are various types of therapies available. (best Bubba delivery from Forrest Gump) There's psychotherapy...aromatherapy...shock therapy...physical therapy...plastic therapy - the spending of $$ on a credit card to make one feel better...

And then, of course, there are the ones that are the language of Mordor, which will not be spoken here in Rivendell: chemo...and immuno...*shudders*

And then, of course, there's my favorite therapy: Beach Therapy. Jimmy Buffett calls it "time on the water." A time to re-focus and re-charge and rest. And to prepare for year one of pharmacy school and for round 2 of high-dose IL-2...*sigh*

Proper beach therapy requires the following:
--a beach (thank you, Captain Obvious)
--sand
--a place to stay near/on both of those
--seafood consumed in copious quantity ("cholesterol? What cholesterol? I'm at the beach!")
--total lack of organized schedule
--chilled out music (Everybody now: "Squalls out on the Gulf Stream...Big Storm's comin' soon...passed out in my hammock...I slept until way past noon...And now I must confess, I could use some rest...I can't run at this pace very long...Yes it's quite insane, I think it hurts my brain...but it cleans me out and then I can go on..." And this: "When you see the Southern Cross for the first time...you understand now why you came this way...and the truth you might be runnin' from is so small, but it's as big as the promise...the promise of another day...")

Don't take this the wrong way, but friends are actually optional for proper beach therapy. They're preferred, of course, but I've had some great therapy sessions all by myself. But the preference is for friends, or much better, family.

Fishing is also optional. A great addition to beach therapy if available, but not required for the full therapeutic effects.

Very shortly, James & I will head out toward Orange Beach for a couple of days of beach therapy. The fact that my favorite young man will be accompanying me for this particular round of beach therapy has already made this an awesome, well, "dose" of beach therapy. James turns 20 next week; I'll be in IL-2 land 7.5 hours away for his birthday, sadly. But let me tell you...I was there for his 1st breath, and have been there for all the subsequent 19 birthdays. What a joy it is, to watch one's son become a man! He is one whom I love and in whom I am well pleased. He's far smarter than I (recessive science gene, combined with recessive "focus & discipline" gene...)...plus he's far bigger & stronger than I (recessive size & strength gene)...much better looking...much more together at 20 than I was at (several birthdays past 20...*sigh*). And amazingly, he seems to really enjoy spending time with me, and seems to enjoy beach therapy as much as I do!

So, we'll be buying the temporary AL fishing licenses, for the place we're staying has a private pier from which we've caught sharks & redfish & Spanish/King mackeral in the past. the place is on the beach, so...check! We'll have our ipods, loaded with a wide variety of music. Everything from screaming metal to Miles Davis cool jazz. We'll consume the requisite amounts of seafood. We'll sit on the patio half awake and watch the sun rise & set while being totally hypnotized under the influence of the rhythm of the waves and the seafood and (hopefully) the rush of catching some big fish from the pier.

We'll talk of life, love, and other mysteries (thank you, Point of Grace, for that great phrase!). And dream together of life without IL-2 & without cancer...and will pray toward those particular ends. We'll analyze the upcoming college football season (btw, I have both of our schools at 7-5 or so, with upside potential to 10-2...should be fun!). And we'll dream together of life after pharmacy school (for him...I can't even spell "pharmacy school"...*grin*)

And Saturday afternoon, we should be as right as rain, just ahead of Sunday's journey back to the place out west for the purpose that shall not be named here.

And God should be pleased as 2 of His enjoy a trinitarian-esque delight in each other's company and in fellowship. (yeah...I did listen to 2 sermons ago by my favorite bald-headed preacher...)

Beach Therapy. Can't wait!

With love and hope,
Mike the Beach Bum