Prayer

I am an active member of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Reno, Nevada. Many members of that church, as well as many of my other Christian friends and family, prayed for me for months. I would like to thank them for that.

Music

I frequently listen to music and play whatever matches my mood at the time. When my pneumonia surged after day 50 of symptoms, I eventually became bitter. It was hard to take worsening lung spasms, and the associated fatigue, for yet another month.

I found comfort listening to what I call “the music of the frustrated”, such as “In the End” by Linkin Park and many songs by Nirvana. I would crank the songs repeatedly and try to even match some of the drumming at home. It helped me get through the bitterness.

Whatever You Needed it to Be

Eventually, after hundreds of lung spasms and thousands of coughing sessions, my lung muscles were so strong that I became less bothered and bitter. My body had adapted to the situation and my mood improved. I rediscovered my love of the music of Stevie Wonder.

I’ll be loving you …

Until the day that eight times eight times eight is four (loving you)

Stevie Wonder, in his song “As”

The song “As” appears on one of my favorite albums, Songs in the Key of Life. As noted in Wikipedia, there is some question regarding the interpretation of this song. Is it romantic, sung for a lover? Is it faithful, sung on behalf of God, to express God’s endless agape love for me and you? Is it personal, sung to express Mr. Wonder’s own endless love for his fellow humans, including me and you? Or is it all three?

Maybe Stevie Wonder left it ambiguous so it could be whatever you need it to be. Similarly, for this book, we hope it has been whatever you needed it to be.

Hope to See You on the Slopes

As I mentioned in Chapter 1, my saga with COVID-19 started in mid-March 2020, about the same time they closed all the ski resorts in the western mountains of the US. It is now October and another ski season approaches.

If you find yourself at Mt. Rose Ski area near Lake Tahoe and see an old dude with a portable oxygen concentrator, it might be me. If he is wearing a 25-year-old parka and is sporting old school straight skis, it is almost certainly me. Say hello and I will buy you a beer. I look forward to hearing your story.