I think I may have had the flu last night.
I’m not really sure. As I was IMing with someone last night, I began to feel tired and physically weak. I told my friend I thought I might be getting sick. Flu maybe.
This morning I got up and felt fine, but later in the morning I had a bout of what I’ll delicately call “intestinal distress.” But when that was done, it was over.
Maybe it was something I “et,” but I’ve noticed a pattern in the last few years. I’ll feel like I’m coming down with something in the evening, but after a good sleep I’m fine.
I’m coming to believe that I’ve developed a superhumanly strong immune system. When I was a kid I got sick a lot. When I grew a little older I got sick less often. Now that I’m entering my golden years, I don’t seem to ever get sick anymore.
I know a guy my age ought to get flu shots, but I’m kind of scared of upsetting this remarkable balance I seem to have achieved.
It’s a strange time in the library these days, for me. I’ve been given a new assistant, and I’m not sure how it’s going to go.
The new assistant is a short-term seminarian from Africa, an elderly pastor so far ahead of me spiritually I can barely make out his silhouette on the distant horizon.
We like to give our foreign students part-time jobs on campus, because they usually don’t have the option of driving. I imagine the Higher Powers decided to send this pastor to the library because they figured the library is a light job.
It’s light in terms of lifting (mostly), true enough. But I fear that this pastor may be finding it pretty heavy in emotional terms.
He has almost no experience with western technology. He’s never used a computer in his life. The control of a mouse is an extremely frustrating exercise for him, much as learning to operate a video game controller would probably be for me. Even the electronic typewriter we type check-out cards with frustrates him.
I hope it’s not keeping him awake at night or anything. I hope I’m a patient trainer.
Culture Shock is my middle name. Or middle names.
I might note that people who live alone pick up less infectious illnesses.
Sure. Rain on my parade. I won’t get a cold!
Most of the time when people think they’ve got a stomach flu or bug of the 24 hour variety it’s actually a mild case of food poisoning. So more than likely it was something you “et.”
Which would be more shocking in public conversation, confessing to a mild stomach flu or food poisoning?
On another note, I think this post has a thread of relationship with today quote from the Evil Midnight Bomber what Bombs at Midnight, but I’m not sure what.
Would he like to work at my church library?
We have no technology. I’ve even reverted to hand writing everything.
Sometimes, I just give people books. ‘Here. Read this. No, don’t sign anything. Just bring it back when you are done.’
Saves this lazy volunteer a lot of time.
I do think it IS the older immune system. My grandson has been dripping various colors of the rainbow from his nose all week, and, I’ve got nothing.
I’m sure he’d be delighted to help you out. Providing you live in walking distance of our campus. 🙂
My guess is it would take him about a month.
I’ll be looking for him. 🙂
I’m with you, Lars. No flu shots for me, either – and I’ve already reached my golden years.
What country in Africa?
I’m not actually sure. We haven’t exchanged personal information. But I think it’s somewhere in East Africa. Tanzania, perhaps.