embolism can take your life in an instant. I was familiar 8 enough with the medical term, but not familiar with the 9 pain, the fear and the depression that followed. 10 Everything I had been looking forward to came to a 11 screeching halt. I had to cancel my upcoming tour. I had to 12 let my musicians and crewmembers go. The record 13 company, the booking agency: I felt that I had let everyone 14 down. 15 Notes: But there was nothing to do but get out of the hospital, 16 go home and get well. 17 I tried hard to see my unexpected time off as a gift, but 18 I would open a novel and couldn't concentrate. I would turn 19 on the radio, then shut if off. Familiar clouds gathered 20 above my head, and I couldn't make them go away with a 21 pill or a movie or a walk. This unexpected time was 22 becoming a curse, filling me with anxiety, fear and self- 23 loathing — all of the ingredients of the darkness that is 24 depression. 25 Sometimes, it's the smile of a stranger that helps. 26 Sometimes it's a phone call from a long absent friend, 27 checking on you. I found my lifeline at the grocery store. 28 One morning, the young man who rang up my groceries 29 and asked me if I wanted paper or plastic also told me to 30 enjoy the rest of my day. I looked at him and I knew he 31 meant it. It stopped me in my tracks. I went out and I sat in 32
8 embolism can take your life in an instant. I was familiar 9 enough with the medical term, but not familiar with the 10 pain, the fear and the depression that followed. 11 Everything I had been looking forward to came to a 12 screeching halt. I had to cancel my upcoming tour. I had to 13 let my musicians and crewmembers go. The record 14 company, the booking agency: I felt that I had let everyone 15 down. Notes: 16 But there was nothing to do but get out of the hospital, 17 go home and get well. 18 I tried hard to see my unexpected time off as a gift, but 19 I would open a novel and couldn't concentrate. I would turn 20 on the radio, then shut if off. Familiar clouds gathered 21 above my head, and I couldn't make them go away with a 22 pill or a movie or a walk. This unexpected time was 23 becoming a curse, filling me with anxiety, fear and self- 24 loathing — all of the ingredients of the darkness that is 25 depression. 26 Sometimes, it's the smile of a stranger that helps. 27 Sometimes it's a phone call from a long absent friend, 28 checking on you. I found my lifeline at the grocery store. 29 One morning, the young man who rang up my groceries 30 and asked me if I wanted paper or plastic also told me to 31 enjoy the rest of my day. I looked at him and I knew he 32 meant it. It stopped me in my tracks. I went out and I sat in
Fluency_Packet_6-8.docx