The Lessons of Healing

Mr. I. B. Self-Reliant here, checking in to see how the world's been doing since I stepped off of it for a few days to lick my wounds and tend to my pride.

I finally heard from my doctor today and found that I have no broken bones. I guess that means I can go out dancing tonight. Oh, wait, scratch that. My million-dollar smile isn't worth two-bits right now. Gotta get that taken care of first. I'll see a new dentist this Tuesday morning. I hope to survive to tell the tale.

I've learned something, though, from this experience. (Aren't you surprised?) Aside from the obvious moral that I am no longer invincible like I was when I was in my teens and twenties - that I am, as a matter of fact, pretty brittle and fragile -I learned that, as much as I would like to think of myself as a guy who stands on his own two feet, who doesn't need anybody doing for him, who can always take care of himself and the people who depend on him ... well, it all turns out to be bull. I'm as big a needy baby as the rest of you.

It got pretty lonely lying here in the Fortress of Solitude with only Bob for company, and I'm really grateful to those people who wouldn't leave me alone, who kept dropping comments here, or emails there, who even took time out to stop in and visit. All that meant a lot to me. I owe you, and I won't forget you.

So what's been happening while I was down and out?