Prometheus Rising exercise and discussion group, Week Nine

 

By Eric Wagner
Special guest blogger

On Monday, November 23, 2020, birthday of both Harpo Marx and Boris Karloff, I went to the emergency room. I had had sharp pains in my lower left signs two days before and again that morning. I suspected I that had had an attack of diverticulitis. I had one once before over ten years ago. (Bobby Campbell told me at the time that Bucky Fuller also suffered from diverticulitis.) On my way to the hospital listening to Elliott Carter (my favorite music for the chaos of 2020), it struck me that this might prove a good chance to try an exercise from Prometheus Rising. I would view this visit to the ER as a party, and I would imagine myself as handsome, irresistible, and witty. I figured this would at least get some endorphins flowing to help with my healing. I did in fact talk with more people in person that day than I had since the pandemic shut-down started in March. 

I had on a t-shirt with a bunch of DC characters on it. While in the waiting room the security guard commented on my cool t-shirt. I mentioned that my wife had gotten it for me at Target and that it came from a 1980’s TV show. An older couple came over to take a look at the t-shirt (maintaining social distance, of course). They also liked the shirt. The man, leaning over his walker, said, “Yup, that’s from the 80’s. I’m an expert on cartoons from the 50’s and 60’s.” I had only ever gotten one comment on the shirt before (from a security guard at Walmart – I haven’t talked with many people this year). I don’t know if this interest in the shirt came from my metaprogramming exercise, but I’ve never talked so much with strangers at the emergency room (and I have spent a lot of time in ER’s with my family).

Update as of December 5, 2020: yes, I had diverticulitis, and all goes well.