Bad day and Sugarman

Today has not been a good day…but it is ending well. Beatrix and I had a unique experience. On Netflix, we watched a film entitled “Searching for Sugarman.” It’s the story of a musician who became wildly famous in South Africa in the 70’s – bigger than Elvis Presley there! His two or three albums did not sell at all in the US. He was, and is, unknown on this side of the ocean. He spent most of his life working as a labourer in Detroit. He lives today in the same old house he’s lived in for 40 years!  He’s given most of his money away, and lives on what he makes. He knows the meaning of “enough.”

The film is a documentary, employing interviews with many of the people who knew him in South Africa, as well as his daughters. For the longest time, the South Africans thought he was dead. There were many lurid stories of how he died. An absolutely fantastic tale about being you, humble and gifted at the same time. It’s also about redemption and life’s “meaning,” to use a hackneyed word. See it if you can.

The day that is finishing do well began very badly. We had a snow blow last night, so there was a drift across our driveway and lots of snow everywhere else. I walked at 6 AM, and could only use the roads because the sidewalks were all blown in. Anyway…

I took the snow blower out and 8:30 to clean things up. I was doing well until I noticed my Filipino neighbour struggling to shovel the drift in his own driveway. I wrestled the blower over to his place and blew out a good bit of his driveway. Part way through the second driveway I felt a wave of angina come over me. I slowed down, stopped and waited until it passed…a few minutes. I brought the machine home and went inside. For the remainder of the day I have felt exhausted and unwell. Not sick, just “unwell.” A lesson. I am still learning how to live with this lousy valve. Today was a bit much. I had planned to wash the garage floor in the afternoon, but when Beatrix asked me if we were going to do it, I realized that I simply couldn’t face the job. Drained. No pain, just pooped.

Recovery is a learning process. If you don’t learn, you pay. Today was payout day. At 9:15, I’m about ready to go to bed. Tomorrow, worship in Rimbey. I started working today on Blackfalds in January, but I felt a bit overwhelmed just looking at material. Let’s hope that tomorrow is a better day. I have to spend some time with a funeral family after worship, then home and quiet.

Days like this are frightening. Worse than that, I feel stupid. I went just too far, and I didn’t have to. I’m sure my neighbour is grateful, but the whole thing cost me too much. Dumb.