Friday Musings—Looking up

What's going on

I recently had minor knee surgery to remove a stitch left over from meniscus surgery back in 2020. That first surgery went well, but the stitch started causing problems early on. The orthopedic surgeon, well known in Turin, told me to wait a couple of years and get an MRI to confirm the meniscus had fully healed before scheduling a new surgery.

The scan came back clean, but by then the doctor's career had taken off and he clearly had bigger things on his mind. At one point he suggested I just go to the emergency room to get the stitch removed. I was taken aback, since he'd originally told me the procedure, minor as it was, still needed an operating room and the usual precautions. But I didn't have the courage to push back.

Between that and a slew of other health issues, including an ulcerative colitis diagnosis, I kept postponing it. Last year the knee started hurting more, so I found another surgeon who took me seriously and scheduled it through the national healthcare system. The clinic was lovely, the staff friendly, so a good experience all around. Turns out the suture was falling apart and granulomas had formed (my body's own defense mechanism, which also causes inflammation). I need to avoid straining the knee until the end of the month, a bit of a bummer since I'm finally spending time in the mountains. But at least it's done, yay!

All this reminded me of my old blog post on the importance of advocating for yourself and not letting other people belittle or dismiss your problems. Especially when it comes to your health. Keep looking until you find someone who takes you seriously.

Recent content

A few days ago I came across a short essay by Deirdre Sullivan and yesterday I made a quick video about it: "Always go to the funeral". It's about why showing up matters, even when it's inconvenient or you don't feel like it. In the video I get into why I think that matters more than ever right now.

Last week's video, Who are you, really?, is now my fourth most watched video (out of 26). Tiny numbers, sure, but relative to my channel's size, some videos seem to reach further than others. It's interesting to see which themes resonate.

Looking up

I can't walk much because of my knee, so one of my new favorite activities is lying on a bench and contemplating the sky, especially with some good music playing (here's one of my current favorites). There's a lot going on up there: clouds, birds, planes, paragliders passing by. In the evening, the stars and the moon waxing and waning.

I was surprised by how happy and at peace it makes me feel. Stop and smell the roses, or in this case stop and look up, is another cliché, but it's true!

Hot topic of the week

One of my LinkedIn contacts shared a scathing post on the uselessness of small talk, and the comments turned into a debate: people who'd rather not waste time and energy on conversation unless strictly necessary, versus people arguing that communicating is what keeps us human.

I don't mind small talk at all, especially after my long stay in Ireland, where almost everyone seemed to enjoy it. But I was curious whether there's a good reason behind the cliché that everyone hates it. Turns out there's plenty of research on its benefits, both individual and social: boosting mood, reducing isolation and anxiety, strengthening trust and social cohesion, helping the exchange of new information.

So why do we seem to be engaging in it less and less?

Quote of the week 

"Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it."  (Mary Oliver)

Hit reply or leave a comment to let me know how your summer is going, and to offer any feedback or suggestion. And pass this on to anyone who might enjoy it.

Until next time,

ML