Here at the Place of All Beginnings

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.” -Tolkein, The Fellowship of the Ring

Welcome, from a rusty and itinerant writer. It’s been a long time since I’ve written regularly. In a sense much of residency thus far has been about surviving, something I see more clearly now watching D go through the experience. I didn’t have it in me much to pen more than bits of griping, but things are lightening up now at work. Much as earlier when things were facing a new stage—studying for the Boards and starting on the wards in med school, beginning to date and eventually getting married—another major shift in life is coming.

Writing is such a healthy practice for me; it’s how I best process and meditate, something I used to do deeply much more frequently than I naturally do now. It’s good to return to that. Writing encourages reading, observation, and spiritual genuflection. Still, it’s not something I do easily without external encouragement, probably because I am lazy at heart, so I ought to thank D and particularly my sister for bugging me to write. My dad even mentioned once, “write something your child can read down the line.” Weird thought.

This blog will be similar in spirit and style to my last one, Omer of Manna (www.xanga.com/eih). I felt the colors needed a change-up, and for all of that I must credit my sister again, who designed this entire webpage using the interface of her brilliant computer programming skills and the innate artistry I still envy. If it were not for her, you would be reading black text on an entirely white background.

The first few entries are back-dated. You’ll probably also find they’re fixated on physical topics, reflecting my obsession with constant nausea during the first trimester… I’ll try to expand topics in the future. Some posts are from previous writings that still resonate with me now.

That said, here’s to a fresh start! Welcome along for the journey. And warm thanks to faithful readers.

Week Fourteen (ie, thank God for the second trimester).