On Vivian the intern’s last day, I received this page at work.
I assumed that page was from Vivian, drowning in all the tasks she needed to complete. And it was. However, that page could have been from a lot of people, because many of us are drowning in tasks, work, obligations, news, politics, self-recrimination, violence, worry, guilt, and shame.
What do you do when you’re drowning? Do you reach out, like Vivian? How do you reach out?
I don’t worry about drowning in water, even though I can’t swim. Being near water keeps me from drowning. And so does blogging and taking photos, like these:
Here’s a live version of “Drowning in a Sea of Love” with Boz Scaggs and Donald Fagen.
I hope you don’t mind drowning in a sea of gratitude from me.
I can swim in your photos, Ann. I love your flowers of spring.
Thanks for swimming over here, Mark.
That reflected sky in the still water is a beauty
I appreciate your reflections, Derrick.
I hope you don’t mind me quoting Stevie Smith’s famous poem “Not Waving But Drowning”. Although it may sound morbid there’s a funny and even hopeful undercurrent to it, since the drowned man speaks and asks for help up to the very end.
Nobody heard him, the dead man,
But still he lay moaning:
I was much further out than you thought
And not waving but drowning.
Poor chap, he always loved larking
And now he’s dead
It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,
They said.
Oh, no no no, it was too cold always
(Still the dead one lay moaning)
I was much too far out all my life
And not waving but drowning.
I’m drowning in a sea of love for this poem, Chris. Thank you.
Sea of Love and Sea of Heartbreak. I guess we get both, eh?
I guess we do, Lovely Lisa.
Drowning in work or water I will take work as water could kill you
Your comments are easy to take, Joanne.
I wonder what the opposite of drowning is? Landing? Emerging? Surfacing? Breathing? Rescuing? A clear desk?
What is Michael’s secret with potatoes? He makes them just that little bit brown bit not deep fried.
Michael says the secret is olive oil and a very hot stove. Thanks for landing here, Maureen.
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