A Day In Capital City
The Anatomy Of A Stroke [Month 3]
It’s been a difficult month. As those who’ve been following the story will know, it began with dad back in hospital with a heart scare. [In a nutshell, for those who might not have subsequently followed updates in the Comments under the previous Flickr image: in hospital for nearly two weeks, essentially awaiting continually cancelled angiogram; procedure eventually confirmed atrial fibrillation; probably the best outcome given the admission; more meds and back home on the recovery path.]
But momentum has been lost. One notable unwelcome side-effect of the hospital admission: the daily physio visits stopped and weren’t resumed when he returned home. When you have people visiting and encouraging you on a daily basis, only to suddenly have that disappear, it’s understandable to see that motivation can all too easily ebb, too.
Tiredness is certainly a factor, but potential negative feelings and associated frustrations will bring with them the next challenge in dad’s recovery. The other day his brother was helping him replace a handrail, but by refusing to acknowledge the creeping tiredness – as it was something he felt he should be able to do – it simply resulted in exhaustion and fractiousness. It’s a fine line.
And that will be the next challenge in dad’s rehabilitation. To defeat old habits, expectations and gnawing negative feelings and refocus on the momentum achieved prior to his hospital admission; all the while accepting that tiredness will be a likely running mate, but not necessarily the governing force.
Recovery isn’t just survival. Recovery isn’t just the good fortune of avoiding significant, lingering disability. Recovery is focussing on the achievable, then taking the next step.
So, That Was 2011 : Photography
A sprinkling of memorable images from 2011. I was going to say ‘favourite’, but didn’t feel comfortable with having one of my dad falling under that particular epithet! So, they’re [arguably] some of my stronger images from the year: from the often quirky and entirely unexpected street photography moments, through an example of more formal portrait diversions [with Young Wife, Alice, the perfect subject : )] and the emotional response to the Japanese earthquake* and my father’s recent stroke.
* Comfortably one of my most satisfying photographic moments of the year: an image of mine selling for 150UKP to raise money for the Japanese earthquake appeal. Thanks Helen! : )
Walking The Dog
Someone suggested that they felt “…something slightly apocalyptic about this one. Weren’t there dogs in the ‘Book of Revelations’? ‘Outside are the dogs, those who practice the magic arts…’”
I’m not the most learned of theologians, but I do seem to vaguely recall something from Sunday school along the lines of “…and then a plague of inflatable animals heralded the beginning of the apocalypse…’ or some such, from the Book of Dalmatians, Chapter 1, Verse 101. Mind you, Sunday school was quite a long time ago now, so the memory is getting a little hazy.
Well, apart from that stolen kiss I got from Sherilee Dilling, round by the bins. I have fond memories of that moment.
The Shooting Gallery
As I know some people are occasionally curious as to how I get some of these more ‘blatant’ street shots, I quite enjoyed this one:
I was walking into Bath to meet a friend last week and was running late, but a tourist bus had stopped and the guide was giving an animated lecture on the magnificent Royal Crescent. I couldn’t resist. I walked [quite quickly] between the guide and the assembled faces and took three shots as I passed the regimented ‘gallery’… I dropped the camera from my eye after the final shot, without breaking my stride, smiled and gave a hearty “Morning,” to a chorus of bemused chuckling. I don’t think the guide had been getting many laughs. As I approached he said ‘Any questions?’ to stony silence. And wasn’t I pointing my camera in the wrong direction?! : )
Nige' Ollis 