Why I’m writing this blog
Posted by heldentenor on April 30, 2008
In short, a lot happened to me over my career spanning 30 years. Some of it funny, some of it tragic and some comic/tragic. I stopped singing because I got tired. It was probably the result of heart disease which finally erupted in quintuple bypass surgery in 2000. My doctors said I would be lucky to make it another six months my arteries were so clogged. Too many steaks before too many performances, I guess. At the time, I was managing editor for a newspaper on the
Treasure Coast of Florida. I was responsible not only for the arts and entertainment,
as I had been in Fort Lauderdale, but for the entire newspaper. I had won awards for music criticism,
newspaper design and feature page design. But, now, I was no longer sure what would happen. I had made several CDs from tapes I had accumulated over the years, and, at parties, I would relate the stories of all the funny things that had happened during my career. I always wanted to put these down and never did.
One reason was that my heart was acting up. I had developed more clogged arteries and Atrial Fibrillation. The A-Fib drained me of all energy. It made it almost impossible to do any thing constructive. It sapped the blood from my brain and I couldn’t think straight enough just to jot down the stories. I tried many times and never succeeded. Now, I’m getting ready to have a cardiac ablation, which should rid me of my A-Fib. I hope. I also decided this was the time to push my way through and get these things down on paper.
I was reading a book – Petite Anglaise – about an ex-pat in Paris and how starting a blog had changed her life. I was so impressed, I just decided I had to do it. So here it is. It’s going to take some time to get it going because I need to organize my thoughts. That is not always easy.
I’m gong to the Mayo Clinic on Friday, May 2, to consult with a cardiologist who does these ablations to see if I am a good candidate. If so, I will probably have the procedure done in mid-June. At the end of May, I am going to visit family and friends in Germany, and then spend a week in Paris. When I get back, I will have the ablation done. I hope it works. I have a lot to say.
I certainly look forward to comments from everyone and anyone, and I want to share your experiences, be they operatic or not. So please don’t hesitate to comment. I’ll have more to write on my background soon, including my work with the local NPR radio station.
Ciao,
Heldentenor
