Today, my wife and I traveled bearing the gift of lasagna to Winchester, KY to visit with Greg Goldey. Greg had been sleeping on the couch but got up quickly and was in good spirits. We talked about how he was feeling, discussed some shop issues, and had a generally good time.
Avoiding Faux Pas. Greg is very thin, thin enough that his face looks Lincolnesque because his ears stick out. The last time we visited, I mentioned his resemblance to Lincoln as a kind of joke. But it turned out to be not funny at all. Goldey's father-in-law is a strong believer that Lincoln was a warmonger and a tyrant and that Gen. George McClellan was a much preferable figure. My luck to be calling somebody Lincolnesque in the only household in America where McClellan is a hero.
But today I managed to avoid that kind of embarressment by keeping my historical references to myself. Of course, Greg still looks Lincolnesque.
Getting Better. Greg is getting stronger but in somewhat of an ironic way. After his first dose of chemo, Greg slept constantly. Weeks later, he's now strong enough that he can throw up a lot. That's very promising. Greg is also up and around, talking about department business, and getting a little heated in discussing things. In other words, he's improved to the point where he can throw up and be more himself. That's progress. Soon, he'll be able to cope with underachieving students.
No Stomach for Stomach Cancer. Given that Greg's cancer is in his abdomen, he still can't eat regular food even though he's tried some fruit. It will be a very good sign when he can eat regular food again. Right now, he's still got no stomach for it.
Not Voting Republican. Goldey and I didn't get a chance to talk politics or sports. Not talking sports was probably a good idea. He got his Ph.D. from Oklahoma and Oklahoma was upset yesterday by Colorado. As for politics, I'm pretty sure Greg's not going to come out in favor of a Republican. He can barely stomach the Democrats.
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3 comments:
Thanks for the update Ric. Greg has been on my mind of late and I've been quite worried about him.
Give him my warmest regards when you see him next.
I'm glad to hear you friend is well, but outside of October 1864, I didn't know anyone took McClellan'a side. As Sarah Vowell intoned, Lincoln is the American Jesus.
As far as remembering history, I think my vehement hatred of Robert Lee takes many folks aback. How is he a "gentleman" and Arnold a "traitor", when they are both largely guilty of the same crime. My older daughter's grandfather's middle name is Lee. He was named after his father Robert Lee ______, born in 1876 in Southern Kentucky.
I demanded her middle name be Leigh, so it was an homage to her grandfather and not that bastard Robert E. Lee.
Both families thought it was a strange thing to care about, but I maintained then and now that history has consequences. Take a look at Brandon Powell, who comes here to level the charges of current events without knowing history. He seems like he a well-meaning guy, but his sense of history is 25 years old. The idea that relevant history stretches into the "mystic chords of memory" is foreign.
It's an odd and purely American conception.
Three guesses what my undergrad major was.
Lastly, I can see see a very narrow view that Lincoln was a tyrant. The things we castigate Bush for, Lincoln at least had the decency to do before doing them. Of course, he also faced an enemy that could have destroyed the country, whereas we face a bunch of largely incompetent kooks.
Just saying that if you were Clement Vallandigham's great grandson, you might dislike Lincoln too.
I'm glad Dr. Goldey is doing better. I always felt like I could learn a lot from him and hope to have him in class someday. Send him my best wishes and regards.
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