I've had a rough winter healthwise with what's turned out to be an autoimmune condition called Sjogren's Disease. It's the second most common after RA, and typically is rather mild with dry eyes and mouth being the most troubling symptoms. However, in my case it has led to inflammation in my lungs, which is unpleasant but slowly resolving. I've been fortunate enough to become the patient of an excellent pulmonary specialist at Jefferson Medical--Dr. Michael Scharf. The current plan is for him to consult with some colleagues there and at Penn and decide whether or not I need pharmocological treatment. In a few weeks we'll have a teleconference to discuss their recommendations. I'm in very good hands, but it's been a long and anxious waiting game and I'm looking forward to some degree of resolution! I"m seriously considering writing a short story called "Autoimmune" to make some lemonade of of these lemons...
This of course, is an old photo featuring some older people, but you get the idea! The current events on my mind now are the horrific school shooting in Parkland, FL and the impressive student movement that has arisen in its wake! I think that the responses of various adults in power just go to show how very powerful and threatening these young people are to the Forces of Evil! The conspiracy theories that are arising are remarkable and show how difficult it is for many Americans to believe that young people can be authentic, autonomous agents; articulate and empowered! I am especially heartened to see the diversity of the group and to note the number of Spanish surnames among them. ! Que viva el movimento! We must all support this important movement and keep it strong!
And to close, I've got a positive announcement to make: that my short story, "Dream of a Bear," was one of the finalists in the Adelaide Voices Literary Contest. It will be included in an anthology to be released soon featuring the work of the winners and runners-up. A current project is familiarizing myself with the writers' website Duotrope to help keep my work organized. Then--time to get back to generating a few more short stories to submit as a collection for publication!
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