“I Just Want Some Money so We Can Have Chinese for Dinner”

Swallow test #3 is now “in the books.”  I entered the “swallow room” on the 13th with a good deal of apprehension as I knew the future of my relationship with PEG (stomach tube) hung in the balance. For the past six weeks, I had been diligently doing my exercises and knew what to expect since it was my third one.  Really doesn’t take long—applesauce swallow, pudding swallow, barium swallow, and finally, cracker swallow. The whole procedure takes ten minutes. The speech pathologist then called Diane into the room, and the three of us looked at the results on an X-ray type screen directly in front of us and explained things. Yes, progress is being made and the “flap” (epiglottis) is covering the trachea better than before BUT small amounts of intake are still going where they shouldn’t be going.  IF I chew and swallow, drink water and swallow, chew again and swallow ad nauseam, I can probably ingest some “real” food but not enough to make me independent of PEG.  For the present, my unwelcome friend will remain my dining companion.  Not exactly what I wanted to hear but they did say, “Progress is being made.”  However, the words in the back of Diane’s and my mind rings true every single day—MRI results indicate NO cancer and NO tumor. 

At our home, Diane is THE ONE. She buys and wraps presents, decorates for Christmas, bakes more than usual, and creates personal gifts for our family.  Diane has always loved playing bridge and last week she had 12 women over for “Brunch and Bridge.”  These women share a friendship that goes back over 40 years.  They laughed and had fun for over three hours.  It was a spirited gathering and I enjoyed hearing all their laughter.  I help out by stuffing the Christmas cards, another activity orchestrated by Diane, which get rave reviews every year. I don’t know how she does it, but she does.

Hmm, almost 76 and somewhere the clock is ticking.  What lies ahead? Will I be around to see our six grandkids go to college? Will we finally be able to make that much delayed trip to Europe? Will PEG come out in 2022? Am I done with health issues? Will the Bears ever win another Super Bowl? You get the point, just stuff to ponder as we move along on our respective journeys through life. I do wonder why some of the health issues of the past 8 months manifested themselves and are they gone for a time. As the metaphorical football game SLOWLY (I hope) winds down, have I got things in order for Diane just in case the person upstairs needs me for some other project.  My guess is I’m not alone in this but maybe just the person who puts it out in print for others to read and ponder. 

I do intend this Christmas season to have lots of fun with the family. By the end of the year, we will have seen all three kids, their spouses, and six grandkids since Thanksgiving.  As the patriarch of this crew by virtue of the fact that I’m now the oldest in the family, I will sit back and “let it happen” as kids open presents, and lots of good food.  OK, no eating for me, but I am still allowed to smell. Now I’m definitely getting the holiday spirit.

In December, I look back at the past year and reflect a bit on what has transpired, some of it good, very good, and some of it not so good. The not so good gets placed in the rearview mirror.  I focus instead on the positive like navigating COVID, grandkids excelling in school, youngest one making us laugh and then laugh some more. A couple of days ago, soon to be three Dan decided to join his parents and us during a FaceTime call.  He strolled into the room, stood in front of the iPad screen, and proudly announced, “MorMor and Gramps, I’m naked,” and indeed he was, quite proud that he was able to take off his clothes without interference or help from his parents.  While our family has divergent political perspectives, we have managed to assuage the deeper divisions that topic can generate within a family…good for us.  Even though my health challenges have dominated our lives since June, on balance, a pretty good year for Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. 

But that’s not the end of it.  When I turn on the tv and oh, the horror of the tornados and damage across the nation.  It sticks with me.  Not just the death and destruction but the ripping apart of families and whole communities. How could this happen? How will they survive? What can we do to help?  The devastation is simply incredible. PBS just ran a program on “Frontline” about families in the Quad Cities living in poverty.  I mean, kids who get moved out of shelters into a one-room in a ramshackle motel, have nothing but hand me downs to wear, shoes with holes in the bottom, and no way to get back and forth to school.  One little ten-year-old girl when asked what she wants most said, “I just want some money so we can have Chinese for dinner. My mom would like that.”  You watch such things and sorry, they are part of the fabric of our nation, our hearts go out to them and we hug our loved ones just a little tighter as we realize how fortunate we are. We all have our ups and downs. Goodness, I can attest to that this past year.  BUT nothing like the tragedy and despair faced by so many. Diane and I will be warm and safe at Ryan and Margaret’s home on Christmas morning, and we will all be gathered to watch the “exhibitionist” descend the stairs as the festivities begin.  For others, there will be no gifts under the tree. Hell, there won’t even be a tree, or a warm meal or hope that 2022 will be better than 2021.  I’m on a bit of a 4th Quarter roll here but what better time to besiege all of you to appreciate the good fortune you have, not just this year, but every year.  If I could find a way to do it, I would “buy some Chinese” for that young lady who lives 70 miles north of here. 

And now, time to switch gears one more time. About 15 years ago I began doing an interview TV show at Western Illinois University—think, well, Charlie Rose before his fall from grace.  Now I host an interview show for the city entitled “Macomb on the Move.” A couple of months ago Mayor Mike Inman called me into his office. I knew he wasn’t going to cut my pay since I do them pro bono, an expression I got from my lawyer son.  Mike looked across his desk and said, “You did 250 shows at Western and 29 for the City of Macomb and there is one person you have yet to interview.” He had my attention.  Mike said, “YOU, Gordy.”  Former three-term Mayor Tom Carper was the interviewer and for the first time, Gordy Taylor was the interviewee.  The session can be viewed on YouTube using the following link:  https://youtu.beHW1juHgEQPU

Best wishes to all for a wonderful holiday season and a healthy, productive 2022.